Dog Will Have His Day
by aflightoffancy
Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first... MA.
1. Chapter 1

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first... MA. Sequel to _Loose the Hounds_ and _Dogs of War_.

Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing as always.

_All righty... the third installment (fourth if you count Toys for Tots) in this little tale. In the last story, Kincaid and the familiars managed to get their hands on Manticore's files and found several transgenics who had been programmed in case they decided to go off the reservation. In _Dogs of War_, Alec was activated and he shot Max. After that, things kind of went down hill..._

Chapter One

* * *

Max shifted very slightly in the hospital bed. There was simply no way a transgenic with genetically encoded paranoia could sleep with so many strangers bustling around, not to mention the constant smell of death and sickness surrounding her.

More importantly, she was on duty. Guard duty.

Max supposed she didn't look like the typical security personnel. After all, she was lying in the same hospital bed as Alec. She had the covers pulled up over both of them. She was on her side, pressed to him from shoulder to ankle, one arm wrapped around him, although she was very careful not to put any excess pressure on his injuries.

Alec had been gutted, opened up from side to side, by a pissed off familiar with a knife. After a lot of surgery to repair his insides and keep them where they were supposed to be, Alec had then made an escape attempt by jumping off the roof of the hospital onto the next building. He'd barely made it a few blocks before he'd been forced to hole up in a dump of a motel. Max had gone after him, of course. No matter how badly messed up Alec was over the disaster their lives had become, she wasn't going to let him make a break for it.

Involuntarily, Max's arm tightened around Alec and he let out a sharp puff of air, in pain even though he was asleep. Max immediately loosened her hold again, but couldn't bring herself to let him go altogether. He'd scared her too badly, come far too close to dying, and then he'd hurt himself again in order to get away, thinking it was for _her_ good.

Max had tracked him down, talked and threatened until he'd agreed to come back with her, and then, to avoid the sea of reporters, she'd had to sneak him back into the hospital where he'd immediately been sent back into surgery.

That was hours ago now. Alec had come out from under the anesthesia just fine. He'd only taken a swing at one orderly, and Max hadn't really minded because the guy had been asking for it ever since they'd arrived. Things might be a little better out in the world for transgenics, but there were still people who thought they needed to be put down like dogs.

Max tensed when she caught movement just outside the door. A second later, a woman in hospital scrubs appeared in the doorway. She looked to be in her 20s, had dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, and was a little taller than normal. She stepped into the room carrying a small tray which she set down on the table next to the bed. Alec was unconscious, but his instincts were on alert nevertheless and he twitched unhappily in his sleep.

"You're supposed to be in your own bed," the woman said in disapproval.

Technically, Max was recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest, but she was recovering far more quickly lying beside her husband than she would be away from him.

The nurse's disapproval became a full blown scowl. "You need to return to your bed." She reached out to grab Max's arm where it was resting against Alec's chest. Max hissed, every bit of her feline DNA showing.

"Max?" Alec's eyes blinked open, and he struggled to focus them. "What's wrong?" It took him several extra seconds to see the nurse, and when he did, Max felt his heart rate jump beneath her fingers. She'd already silenced all of the machines attached to him, knowing he would never rest with that kind of noise, sedated or not.

"It's ok, Alec," she whispered. "The nurse was just checking on you."

" 'Kay," he said, and relaxed back into his pillow, immediately easing back into sleep. The trust that action showed made Max's heart want to burst, it was so overwhelming.

"Actually, I'm here for you," the nurse whispered, her eyes on Max. "Dr. Carr sent this." She pointed toward the syringe sitting on the tray she'd brought.

Alec stirred again and Max glared at the woman for nearly alerting Alec to why she was really there. Dr. Carr had been conducting a battery of tests on Max right before Alec disappeared. She had run out before the results had come in. The doctor must have found something that worried him.

Max held her arm out and jerked her head to tell the woman to get to it and then get out. Taking the hint, the nurse quickly gave Max the shot and then left without saying anything else, much to Max's relief.

They couldn't seem to catch a break. She just wanted to be alone with Alec. That was all. After Kincaid and his familiar buddies messed with Alec's head and he shot her, they hadn't had more than a few minutes to even talk about what had happened and what they were going to do to fix it.

First and foremost, they had to track down Kincaid and make him pay. He'd nearly broken Alec with his little override command. Worse, he'd made Alec believe it was too dangerous for them to be together. That she would not allow to stand. Nor would she allow Kincaid to hurt anyone else. As soon as Alec was on his feet, they were going to have to get back to TC and get back to business. Then, in all of their massive amounts of free time, she and Alec needed to talk, or not talk, anything, as long as they were alone, and together.

"Max?"

She sighed in resignation as Dr. Carr walked into the room. They weren't going to get more than a moment alone so long as they were in the hospital.

"Did you sleep at all?" Alec suddenly asked, making her startle. Max should have known he wouldn't be able to do more than doze with so much coming and going.

"Some," she answered.

He smiled drowsily. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are when you're lying?"

"Better than normal?" she asked, perilously close to playing coy, which was unacceptable under normal circumstances, but Alec was still looking pale and shaken.

"Always beautiful," he said almost reverently. " 'Cept..."

"Except?" she said, a clear warning in her tone.

" 'Cept when you're hot." His smile turned decidedly wicked, if exhausted.

Dr. Carr cleared his throat loudly. "Max, if you would give me a moment with Alec to check him?"

Alec sighed and turned his head away from her to look at the doctor. "Not until you tell me what you sent for Max."

The doctor frowned. "What I sent for Max?"

"The shot," Alec said. "A nurse just brought it in and gave it Max."

"Someone gave you a shot?" Dr. Carr stepped forward, moving around to the side of the bed Max was on.

"She had a hospital ID on her uniform," Max said. Alec struggled to sit up, apparently the same horrible feeling alerting him that had her hair standing on end.

"Max," Dr. Carr said worriedly, "I didn't send anything for you."

* * *

_More soon. Thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first... MA. Sequel to _Loose the Hounds_ and _Dogs of War_.

_I know, I know. It was very bad of me. Pardon my breakdown. Truly. The entire story is now finished and will go up in short order._

_When last we talked, Alec was a wreck and Max had just been given a mysterious injection by a nurse..._

Chapter Two

* * *

Max sat up at Dr. Carr's urging and held out her hand to allow him to check her pulse.

Max heard Alec groan and turned her head in time to see him put his feet on the floor and stand. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed.

"You need to stay in bed," Dr. Carr urged.

Alec paid no attention to either of them and came around the end of the hospital bed. He was in pain, but remarkably clear-eyed, and Max supposed adrenaline was better than almost anything for clearing the drugs out of his system.

"How is she?" Alec asked.

"Blood pressure's up."

"Yours would be too if some stranger just shot you up with who knows what," Max snapped.

Dr. Carr ignored the outburst. "I'll be right back," he said and strode out of the room. Almost immediately Max heard him shouting for security as well as giving medical orders to someone at the nurse's station.

"How do you feel?" Alec had moved to stand right in front of her and his eyes roamed up and down examining her for signs of anything off.

"I'd feel better if you'd sit down."

It was a testament to how badly he was hurting that Alec did as she asked. He very gingerly sat beside her, but with his feet still on the ground in an attempt not to put pressure on his abdominal muscles.

"You ok?" she inquired.

"Pretty sure I was the one asking you," Alec replied.

Max shrugged. "I don't feel any different."

"You sure?" He put his arm around her and she allowed herself to lean into him. As always, Alec's touch was just what she needed. When she was feeling frisky, Alec was always ready to play, when she was itching for a fight, his temper was every bit as fiery as hers, but when she needed comfort, he was just as ready to offer it. It was part of his chameleon charm.

Alec's cell phone rang and Max reached for it where it was hidden in the bedside table to keep the nurses from yelling at them. "Max."

"_Your idiot husband still breathing_?" Mole asked. Max knew that whether he would admit it or not, he was worried about Alec. After all, Mole and his secret tracking device were how she'd found Alec after he took off. She'd called Command to let them know she was taking Alec back to the hospital, but she hadn't had the energy to call since. Sometimes she forgot how many people she had in her family these days and they were all concerned about the welfare of Mama and Papa Bear.

"I was tempted to smother him in his sleep," Max said casually, "but the nurses have been watching him too closely."

"_Pretty boy been leading 'em on again_."

Max just raised an eyebrow. "Then I would have to kill him," she said, only half joking and was rewarded with a tiny snort from Alec. "What's up?"

Instantly sobering, Mole answered, "_We've been trying to track down Kincaid._"

"And?"

"_And so far we've got nothing. Less than nothing. No family and he hasn't used any cards, ID, travel passes… nothing registered to him_."

"And you're calling while Alec's laid up in the hospital because…" She let it trail off ominously. After all, in addition to Alec's sorry state, she'd just been given a shot of something that might kill her. She kind of had her plate full without taking calls about how much they didn't know.

"_Because we've got nothing on Kincaid, but the mole at the UN? We think we might know where he's holed up_."

The mole in the UN was part of what had started this whole mess. The Secretary of Homeland Security had brought them the file, asking them to look into it and figure out how widespread the damage was. At that meeting they had been introduced to Kincaid as their new government liaison. That relationship had quickly gone south as soon as Kincaid realized his cover was blown along with the mole at the UN. Kincaid had tipped off his fellow Familiar and they'd both disappeared, although Kincaid had continued to pop up just long enough to wreak havoc on their lives. Max had been shot, Alec had gone mental, and then just when things were getting better, Kincaid had called in a hit on Secretary Gordon and Alec had been nearly disemboweled.

Max closed her eyes, exhaustion creeping in, although to be honest it was never that far away these days. "Where's the mole?"

"_We've already got a team on the way to retrieve him._ _Get back to TC. We'll be able to give you a full rundown by the time you get here_."

"Great." Max sighed. "Give me time to get out of here without the reporters knowing." That was if she didn't suddenly drop dead, she mentally added.

"_Do us all a favor and order Pretty Boy to stay there this time_," Mole said and hung up.

Max put the phone away, distantly noting the sounds of security personnel arriving outside their room. She knew it was a waste of time to have them look for the woman who'd given her the shot. Odds were it was a Familiar, which meant she was already long gone. Even if they did run across her, the security people would be seriously outgunned.

Max felt remarkably calm for someone in her position. There was no telling what she'd been given. Kincaid had warned Alec that the familiars had found all of Manticore's files. Who knew what kind of sick projects they'd been working on? They certainly had meticulously detailed files on each and every transgenic Manticore had produced, herself included.

She knew freaking out would do absolutely no good. If she was going to die, then she was going to die. She would sit right where she was beside Alec. She wouldn't run around like a chicken with her head cut off and waste her last few minutes with her husband.

"Promise me-"

"Max, so help me if you finish that sentence..."

Max let out a very inelegant snort. "You'll what?"

"I'll..." He paused, clearly trying to think up something heinous enough. "I'll make you talk to the reporters."

Max shook her head. "Can't make me talk to them if I keel over dead."

"Don't," Alec bit out, all pretense of joking vanishing in an instant. "Don't say that." Max knew it was too soon after her shooting. That Alec had been the one to shoot her just made it that much worse. He'd been absolutely certain he'd killed her, and had sat down to die himself. Max had no idea what he would do if whatever she'd just been given was lethal.

Max reached up and turned his face toward her, meeting him in a suddenly desperate kiss. They'd been at cross purposes ever since Alec's Manticore programming kicked in, and now this... Max just wanted to be alone with him, alone and safe, and without a gun to their heads.

"Max," Alec said, pulling back to study her face again, his brow deeply furrowed with worry.

"I feel fine," she assured him. "Not a bit of difference."

Alec's arm tightened around her as if he could keep her with him by brute strength. "Make sure it stays that way, all right?" It was more a demand than a question, his voice very tense.

Dr. Carr bustled back into the room breaking the spell. He had a nurse with him who was carrying a tray with supplies.

"Max, we're going to draw some blood and see if that can tell us anything." While the nurse pulled her gloves on and got what looked like an entire squadron of vials ready, the doctor got out his stethoscope to listen to her heart and lungs, checked her eyes, and once again checked her blood pressure. The nurse then took her turn, filling up vial after vial with different colored tops.

"Now," the doctor said, looking from Max to Alec and back again, "I've given up trying to get you two to stay in separate beds, but I need you both lying down. I don't want to redo any more stitches, and until we know what this person gave you, Max, I don't want you running around."

Max didn't bother to argue. One look at Alec told her that his momentary burst of energy was already waning. She immediately got off the bed and helped a scarily pliant Alec back into it. She knew he was fighting sleep, wanting to stay awake with her, but his body had different ideas.

Max looked up and was struck by a severe attack of vertigo. She grabbed Alec's arm and the side table in an attempt to steady herself. The room was suddenly too bright, painfully so, and all the sounds around her were too loud.

"Max? Max, what's wrong?"

She flinched away from the too loud voice. The action dislodged her grip on the table. She fell to her knees, the shock of it hitting her so hard, it was as if someone had taken a bat to them.

Her vision darkened and she wanted one last chance to say something to Alec, but she couldn't. Her body wasn't doing anything she wanted. She fell forward and her head hit the metal bed railing with a clang. She felt blood on her face, heard someone call her name, and then it was all over.

* * *

_More soon..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first... MA. Sequel to _Loose the Hounds_ and _Dogs of War_.

_A short chapter for today, but more to follow..._

Chapter Three

* * *

Max awoke slowly. Sounds filtered in first; rubber shoe soles walking down a tiled floor, distant beeping of machines. Her sense of smell came next. Disinfectant barely covered the stench of death, illness, and all the other unpleasant things a body could produce when it wasn't in working order.

For several seconds, Max remained where she was, just listening, judging her surroundings. She was warm, and she felt safe, which she realized meant that Alec was most likely close by.

Alec.

Max's eyes popped open. Alec was in no shape to be left alone. He'd been counting on her to stand guard.

"Relax, Maxie. Just relax."

Max turned her head and saw Alec, the light coming through the window behind him too bright for her to see him clearly.

"Close the blinds," Alec ordered, obviously realizing the problem.

As the glare lessened, Alec's features came into focus. He looked even more worn and haggard than before. He was also standing which she knew was the last thing he needed to be doing. Max raised a hand and realized she was tethered by some sort of medical equipment. She reached her other hand to free herself, but was quickly stopped.

"Don't touch it, Max. You need it right now," Alec chided.

"I do?" The more time passed, the better she felt. In fact, she felt pretty good for having passed out and cracked her head on the bed railing. "Why aren't you lying down?" she demanded. She put both hands out and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"Max, don't-" Alec started, but quickly stopped when he realized there was no point in it. Max knew she'd married a smart boy. He'd long since given up trying to keep her from doing anything she wanted to do. He reserved the right to mock her when it went wrong, but that would be for later.

"What happened?" she asked. Alec was standing right beside the bed, and she looked past him to see Joshua standing a few feet away.

"Little Fella sick." He frowned unhappily. "Medium Fella refuse to sleep. Stupid."

Max looked at Alec. "Sit," she ordered.

"Max, are you-"

"Sit, or I'm not talking to you."

"Not a dog," he mumbled but he obeyed, and Max thought she saw relief on his face as he sat on the other bed. Without waiting for permission, Joshua swooped in, grabbed Alec's legs, swung them up onto the bed and none too gently pressed Alec down with a hand on his chest. Alec bit off a cry and closed his eyes, breathing through his nose in an attempt to control the pain the action had caused, and she guessed it was for her benefit as much as Joshua's.

Max scrambled out of her bed and pulled the leads where they were attached to her as she slid to the floor. She was in a hospital gown and a quick look at the clock told her she'd been out for a while depending on whether it was AM or PM.

"Max asleep since yesterday," Joshua supplied helpfully.

Max just took the information in and added it to the rest. That was probably part of why she felt so good. She hadn't had that much sleep in months. She didn't just feel fine. She felt... invigorated.

Alec, however, looked like he was about five seconds from passing out. She hurried to him and set a hand against his cheek. His eyes were still closed tightly and an arm was wrapped around his abdomen, but he calmed at her touch. "Shhh... It's ok, Alec. I'm right here. I'm fine and you just need some down time, ok?"

Dr. Carr came into the room and stopped abruptly. "Max, what are you-"

"I'm fine," Max said through gritted teeth, although what she really wanted to do was scream.

"Max, you really-"

"I said I'm fine," she snapped. "Alec's not."

Dr. Carr sighed as if he was very put upon, and hurried to Alec's bed. "He hasn't rested since you passed out."

"Is he all right?"

The doctor ignored her. He simply pushed Alec's gown aside with no thought for his dignity and began checking his dressings. He pressed and prodded, and abruptly, as if a plug had been pulled, all of Alec's muscles relaxed.

Max's first reaction was to snap the doctor's neck, but he shook his head. "He's all right," he said quickly, turning to face Max. "His body's a mess and he's exhausted. That's all. _Both_ of you need to rest, if you even understand what that word means, which I highly doubt."

"Can you help him?" Max demanded.

"He's already on almost everything we can give him and it's barely taking the edge off. Your bodies just metabolize it too fast."

"Sorry, Little Fella," Josh said, looking very humble.

Without waiting for permission, Dr. Carr pushed Max back toward her own bed. "Sit down and let me look at you," he said, his tone very annoyed. "And next time you pull all the sensors off, warn the nurses. As far as they were concerned, it looked like all of your alarms went off. I assured them you weren't dead, just stupid."

"I had to take care of Alec." And to her that was a perfect excuse for scaring the doctor.

Dr. Carr huffed and began his routine of checking her vitals as well as the dressing on her forehead where she'd split it open on the bedrail. Max remained silent, taking the time to give herself a more thorough internal check. She felt good, as if the world were a little more vivid than normal.

Max heard footsteps out in the hallway and tried not to roll her eyes. She could tell it was Logan before he knocked. Even without the exoskeleton, he had a slight halt in his walk from the months in the chair.

"Max?" he said, and he looked so happy to see her up and around that Max didn't have the heart to yell at him for once again intruding on something that had nothing to do with him.

"I'm fine," she said for what felt like the billionth time. "The doc here's just making sure."

"Everything does appear to be fine," Carr added, although he was frowning.

"What?"

"Max," he pulled the chart that had been hanging on the end of her bed, "all of your tests have come back within normal levels," he shrugged, "well, as normal as I can figure for one of you."

"So why did I black out?"

"Not for any reason I can tell. While you were out, your temperature spiked to what I would call dangerous levels for a normal person. Your blood pressure was through the roof, etc, but after a couple of hours everything returned to normal, once again for no apparent reason." He turned toward Logan. "That's why I asked Logan for help."

"I have resources that Dr. Carr doesn't," Logan explained. "He gave me several samples and I sent them to a friend at a lab I know of."

"You gave my samples to some stranger without my permission?" Max asked, very unhappy with the idea.

"He's a good guy, Max. He's helped me several times."

Something in Logan's demeanor was making Max very uncomfortable. He looked too eager, too excited.

"Dr. Carr, will you excuse us please?" Max asked.

"Of course," the man answered, sensing the rising tension in the room and making a swift retreat.

"You, too, Big Fella," she added.

"Joshua wait in empty room across hall," he said and pulled the hood of his jacket up as he headed for the door, eyeing Logan askance as he passed.

"What kind of lab is it?" Max asked, although she had a sneaking suspicion she already knew.

"He's a geneticist." Logan grinned.

"And?"

"And whatever they gave you... Max the virus is gone."

"What?"

Logan smiled broadly. "The retrovirus is gone. It's completely gone."

He strode forward, pulled Max into his arms and kissed her.

* * *

_More soon... (although the evil grin I'm wearing says it might not be until Monday.)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first... MA. Sequel to _Loose the Hounds_ and _Dogs of War_.

_Logan had just shown up to cause problems_...

Chapter Four

* * *

Max was stunned. Beyond stunned. She was completely appalled. Logan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against him and Max was so surprised, she was totally immobilized.

Logan kissed her like a thirsty man who'd happened upon an oasis in the desert. He was desperate, almost pawing at her in his need for her to respond.

It was the tiniest sound that broke the spell that was holding her still. It was indrawn breath, as if someone had been startled. Max tore herself away from Logan and turned toward Alec. His eyes, which she prayed would be closed, were open and staring at her.

Max loved those eyes. She counted on them, relied on them, needed them to tell her what her idiot husband was thinking when his mouth refused to tell her, whether it was because it was too painful, or because he was trying to protect her, or just because he enjoyed being a sneaky jerk who drove her crazy.

Now, those eyes were open and watching her like a hawk, but they gave away absolutely nothing. It was worse than if he were angry. It was worse than if he were heartbroken. Max had barely convinced Alec to come back with her after he ran away to protect her. He'd already been closing himself off before then, sure that because of the Manticore programming he would hurt her worse than he already had.

Alec blinked slowly, exhaustion once again dragging at him, and finally his eyes closed again. Max forced herself to look away from him, and turned back toward Logan.

"So I can touch you now?" she asked, wanting to be absolutely certain.

Logan nodded happily.

"Good." Max leaned back, cocked her arm, and smacked Logan hard enough that he staggered back.

"Max?" he said, confusion on his face. He rubbed his cheek where Max could already see a bright red handprint forming. The confusion on his face made her want to smack him again.

"What were you _thinking_?" she demanded, far more loudly than was polite for a hospital.

"I was..." He just gaped like a landed fish. "But... you're cured..."

"So. WHAT," she bit out. "You kiss me in front of Alec?"

"But this changes-"

Max smacked him again and it felt _great_. She could touch him again. She'd never accidentally bump him and kill him. She didn't have to concentrate on exactly where she was at all times, just in case. She was free of something that had burdened her for so long and sent her life in so many directions she'd never dreamt. She could touch Logan again and that meant she could hit him again if he ever put his lips anywhere near her.

"This doesn't change _anything_." Max backed up toward Alec, wanting to protect him or shield him, or if nothing else just to be near him. She _hated_ that in the middle of all they were going through, he'd had to see that.

"Max, the only reason you're with him-"

Max clenched her fists and ordered herself not to march across the room and take him down. "I am with Alec because I love him. I _married_ him because I love him."

Logan made a huffing sort of sound, his expression turning to something akin to pity. "If that's what you're worried about, you know the marriage wasn't legal."

Max gritted her teeth again, furious that Logan continued to throw it at her that the government still refused to acknowledge them as citizens. They were good enough to do the dirty work, but not good enough to allow them to marry legally. Still, Max and Alec's ceremony had been legal in every way that mattered to her.

"I love him. That's it." Max had long since moved past her uncertain feelings for Logan, although Logan still refused to believe it. He still continued to think of her as settling for second best because there was no other choice. "Logan, I've said this before and I'll keep saying it until you believe it. You are my friend. But I love Alec."

"I thought..." Logan backed up to the wall and slumped into a chair, as if he'd lost all energy. "I hoped..."

"I know," Max said, her anger draining away. "You need to stop."

Her abruptness seemed to stun him even further. For several seconds, they remained frozen just looking at each other until finally, Logan simply nodded. "I'm a little slow sometimes," he said.

"About this?" she said. "Yeah." Max squared her shoulders. "Now, I don't want to talk about this anymore. What else did you find out about what they gave me?"

Logan sighed and turned away, apparently no longer able to look at her. "He's still analyzing. He found some oddities while he was studying the virus and wants to consult with Dr. Carr."

"So we still don't know." Just the thought made her skin itch. She couldn't deny that there was something going on since she'd collapsed the day before. That and there was... something. She felt different somehow. She just wasn't sure if it was her imagination since she couldn't actually pin down what was different or if there was something going on she should recognize.

"He'll figure it out, Max," Logan assured her.

"Then maybe you ought to get Dr. Carr in touch with this geneticist," Max suggested, although her tone implied _Get Out_.

"Right." He stood up, paused as if he wanted to say something else, then finally headed toward the door. "Goodbye, Max."

Max turned around and looked down at Alec. He was definitely asleep and she had to fight to keep from waking him up. She wanted so badly to talk to him. She needed to explain what Alec had actually seen, rather than what he thought he'd seen. She knew nothing would be right until they could talk. Even now, she could see his eyes moving beneath his lids, a telltale sign of his troubled dreams. Alec already had enough of those and she certainly hadn't meant to add to them.

"Max?"

She didn't bother to turn around at the sound of Dr. Carr's voice. "What?"

"We need to run some tests," he said. "We ran quite a few while you were out, but we'd like to run more now that you're awake and can give us some feedback, as well as see if anything has changed from the earlier tests."

"Great," she said, although she felt it was anything but.

"Come with me. We'll take care of this as quickly as possible."

Max frowned and looked down at her sleeping husband. She brushed the backs of her fingers over his cheek, surprised at how warm he felt, warmer even than normal, but she supposed it couldn't be helped. Alec was a mess and he refused to rest.

"You'll be back before he wakes up," Dr. Carr told her.

Max sighed unhappily, giving Alec one last look. "I've heard that one before," she muttered, but she turned and followed the doctor out. Max knocked on the room across the hall and it opened almost immediately to reveal an anxious Joshua. "Big Fella, I need you to stay with Alec."

"Joshua watch him," he promised.

"If he wakes up, don't let him do anything stupid." She had a terrible feeling she knew how Alec was going to react to what he'd seen.

* * *

"Little Fella!" Joshua burst into the exam room, completely ignoring the normal protocol of entering a room where people might be in the middle of a procedure not meant to be shared with the public.

Max hopped down off the table, mindful that the gown she was wearing was a little breezier than her normal clothing. The floor was also so cold she thought her toes might be in danger of frostbite. "What's the matter, Josh?" she asked, although she was fairly certain she already knew.

"Medium Fella gone." Joshua was out of breath and clearly flustered. Max didn't even want to think about what kind of feathers he'd ruffled by running through the hospital. Joshua just couldn't hide in plain sight like the rest of them. She imagined he'd been pretty much confined to her room after sneaking into the hospital.

"What happened?" Max demanded. "I thought you were with him?"

Joshua looked down and wrung his hands. "Joshua fall asleep. When wake up, no Medium Fella."

"This is not happening." Max wanted to scream in frustration. They didn't have any security with them because the hospital absolutely refused to let anyone loiter who was not either a patient or directly related to a patient. The hospital administrator had said the normal hospital security was sufficient. The idiot was only concerned with keeping the reporters out, leaving Max open to attack and Alec without one of their people on hand to keep him from doing anything else stupid. And now he had.

"I need a phone," she barked, sounding less like a diplomat and more like a really pissed off drill sergeant.

Dr. Carr quickly handed over his cell phone and Max snapped it open and dialed Command.

"_What did you screw up now_?" Mole asked.

"Cut the attitude. Alec's gone again."

Mole sighed audibly. "_Have I mentioned how much grief you two cause in my nice, calm little world_?" he growled.

"Calm?" Max snapped, despite being annoyed at herself for falling into the useless argument. "We live in a war zone. Half the city wants us dead."

"_And you and Pretty Boy manage to wander into that half of the city on a daily basis. It takes talent to have a sense of direction that bad_."

"Can you find him?" she asked. "Do his clothes still have the tracker in them? If they don't then I need a team-"

"_Calm down_," Mole ordered. "_He's here_."

That brought Max up short. "He's there?"

"_He came in a couple of minutes ago._"

"Keep him there," she said, already mentally calculating how long it would take her to get back to Terminal City. "I'm on my way."

"_Oh, he's not going anywhere. He passed out about thirty seconds after he got inside the gates_."

Max felt her insides clench and a lump immediately form in her throat. "Is... is he ok?"

"_He looks like crap on toast_."

"Does he need-"

"_Just get back here. The troops are getting restless_."

"What do you mean restless?" she asked, a new worry creeping in. She'd like to say that she trusted her fellow transgenics, but collectively they had so many issues they might as well have a library. "Someone causing problems?"

Mole's voice had lost all hint of playing, not that there was ever very much. "_Just get back here. Now_."

* * *

_More soon..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first... MA. Sequel to _Loose the Hounds_ and _Dogs of War_.

_Max and Alec need to have a talk..._

Chapter Five

* * *

Max ignored everyone. Dr. Carr told her not to leave the hospital. Joshua begged her to stay where the doctor could help if something suddenly went wrong. She ignored security telling her not to leave with all of the reporters still around the building. She ignored checkpoint guards, their own guards at TC's gates... Everyone.

By the time she got to Command, Max was breathing hard, her chest hurt, and her clothes were scratching uncomfortably against her damp skin.

Everything in Command came to a halt when she skidded through the door. More people trailed in behind her, eager to find out what was going on. The rumors had to be flying like wildfire. Alec had shot her then gone missing, then the Psy-Ops people had been called in to deprogram Alec and the others, Alec had nearly died during the fight to save Secretary Gordon, then gone missing again. She was certain news of this latest fiasco with whatever she'd been given had already leaked. There was no telling what everyone else had made of all of it. If Mole said the troops were getting restless, then it was because their leaders had been out of commission way too long. It was a wonder she wasn't walking into a full-scale insurrection, or at the very least chaos.

All of which was secondary.

"Where is he?"

Mole stepped forward out of the crowd, chewing on his cigar and looking more dour than usual, which was saying something. "Your office." He jerked his head in that direction. "You screw up again?"

"No," she replied flatly. She rubbed at the gunshot wound in her chest absently. It was hurting more than it had been, but she put it down to breaking out of the hospital and running all the way back. It had been several days now and should have been well on its way to healed, but the last few days hadn't exactly been laid back. "I'm gonna go check on Alec. When I get back I want a full rundown on what you've got on Kincaid and the mole in the UN."

"Max, we've got another problem," Mole said gravely. "You need to be ready in case somebody challenges you."

Max suppressed a snarl at yet another thing trying to keep her from getting to Alec. There had been rumblings from the very start by other transgenics who thought they were better qualified to run Terminal City, Mole included, although he'd quickly come around.

Every group of people, particularly a bunch of specially bred super-soldiers, had a few dominant personalities who wanted to be in charge of a situation. She and Alec had been incommunicado for a few days now, which had left a temporary power vacuum. Given a few days she could easily reassert her place with a few carefully chosen words, and a few actions, but Max just didn't have time for nice right now.

"Somebody else wanna be in charge?" she roared, her eyes scanning the crowd, noting the people who refused to meet her gaze and the one or two who met it in clear challenge to her authority, most obviously a big, bulldog-like transgenic named Sig that she'd had a few problems with before. "Because I am beyond pissed right now and I will personally break anyone who even thinks about crossing me. We've got enough crap going on without this. I don't do politics. I kick ass. Anybody gets in the way of me making sure we all stay safe, the ass-kicking will descend from on high like you will not believe. Got it?"

The room became deathly silent as everyone held their breath, but there was no response. After giving Sig in particular a last personal warning, Max stopped glaring at the would-be leaders in the room and glanced at Mole who was smiling. She nearly rolled her eyes. Like most of Manticore's children, he clearly appreciated a good show of force. They all knew Max was willing to follow through. They also knew that Alec would be right behind her and with him a whole lot of friends. Max didn't carry the same clout as some of the others because of the '09er issue, but she had friends, friends with plenty of Manticore cred.

"Now, you people get that info together. I gotta talk to Alec." Max stalked past them all toward her office, once again staring down anyone who dared to meet her gaze.

She immediately dropped the pissed-off-warrior persona as soon as she reached the door. She turned the knob and nudged the door open to find Alec stretched out on the ratty old sofa. He was flat on his back and his hands were resting one on top of the other, almost posed, and she guessed he'd been carried in after he collapsed.

Max sat down, perching near his hip. He looked awful; pale, drawn, face lined with pain, definitely not her normal nothing-fazes-me husband. She set one hand over his, wrapping her fingers around them, frowning at how warm he felt. Her frown deepened when she realized he was awake, just refusing to open his eyes.

"Alec?"

"What?"

"You ok?"

"No."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No."

Max sighed. "I'm not exactly having the best day either you know."

Finally, Alec opened his eyes. No matter how angry he was with her, she knew he would still worry about her. He had to have been beyond furious to have left her alone at the hospital. "You ok?" he asked, worry sneaking into his clipped tone.

"Fine. They did a bunch more tests to see if they can figure out what's going on. Nothing yet."

Alec pursed his lips, then he nodded and looked away from her. An awkward silence descended and Max fumbled blindly for how to bring up the topic that so badly needed to be discussed. Finally, as he usually did, Alec came to the rescue.

"So… kissed anyone lately?"

"Nope."

Alec's face clouded in anger. "Pretty sure I saw differently."

"Were you gonna give me a chance to explain before you ran off?"

Alec smirked bitterly. "Well, since I ran off already, that would be a no."

"You know I wouldn't-"

"I _saw_ you, Max. I _saw_ you with him."

"The virus is gone," Max said.

"I figured as much since he didn't drop dead in the middle of your makeout session." If anything, Alec was looking worse, his anger sapping what energy he was managing to muster.

"He was… happy," Max said, about as uncomfortable as it was possible to be. "He kissed me."

"You didn't look like you were fighting too hard."

"Did you see me slap him?"

Alec studied her, his cold anger faltering slightly. "He lose any teeth?"

"No. But not for lack of trying."

"Shame." Alec sniffed. "A few more years of Manticore training would have helped with that."

Max rolled her eyes. "I had plenty of training. Definitely enough to take out Logan. I just…" She shook her head, still upset at Logan's actions and at her own initial lack of reaction. "He surprised me. He can't quite get it through his head that we're over… never really were…"

"So he tries to win you back at your husband's bedside?" Alec asked, eyebrows raised. "Classy."

"Yeah."

"When we have a baby? Remind me not to invite him to the shower. I don't want him deciding the kid's his."

Max blinked, almost as shocked as she had been by Logan's kiss. Babies. Children. They'd never even discussed the possibility. She'd never even thought about it really.

"There a reason you look like you're gonna throw up?" Alec asked.

"I… it's just…"

"Cause I'm the one who saw you kissing Logan. If anyone has the right to want to throw up, it's me. I'm traumatized for life."

"I… uhh…"

Alec smirked, more amused now than anything else. "You plan on doing this every time I mention babies, Max?"

"I just… never…"

"You're a woman, right?"

"Yes," she answered, her brow furrowed at the direction this conversation had taken.

"And I'm a man, right?"

"Yes," she said again.

"And we have sex. Lots of it. Whenever the morons in this place give us a few minutes of down time between disasters."

Max actually blushed all the way to the roots of her hair. "Yes."

"Then would you mind not looking like a baby is an alien concept that's never going to happen? I have it on good authority that out here in the real world, babies are made when Mommy and Daddy get together on date night instead of a doctor and a test tube."

Max huffed in exasperation. "When exactly did I lose control of this conversation?"

Alec's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I think it was about the time I caught you kissing Logan."

Max leaned forward and kissed Alec. "I don't love him."

"And yet, the kissing happened."

Max knew how badly it hurt him. He was always a bit apprehensive around Logan. Her often overconfident husband became a possessive worry-wart around her ex, not that she could really blame him when incidents like this kept happening. Not kissing exactly, but Logan… always there… clearly not over her and trying to worm his way back in, refusing to accept that she belonged with someone else now. Since the shooting, Alec was even more uncertain of his place at her side.

"He surprised me," Max said again. "And if it makes you feel any better, I hit him really, really hard. Twice."

"Well, that's something at least," he replied grumpily.

"You gonna run away again?"

Alec sighed and shook his head tiredly. "Shouldn't have in the first place. Still don't know what they gave you. Still have to figure out what to do about Kincaid and his cronies. Still have to kick Logan's ass. The list goes on and on."

"It's good to have goals."

Alec smiled for the first time since she'd entered the office. "Well, what I really want to do is tear your clothes off and prove how much more of a man I am than Logan. It's the animal DNA. Can't be helped."

"Don't give me that." Max rolled her eyes, refusing to acknowledge the zing of anticipation that ran up her spine. "You're just being a guy." More seriously, however, she said, "Alec, I chose you before the virus was fixed and I'll choose you after."

Alec sat up, his lips pressed tightly together. Max knew he was desperate to keep from appearing weak, especially when he was feeling like Logan was encroaching on his territory. Rather than a smart aleck remark, as she expected, he raised a hand and rested it against her cheek. His skin was so warm, it almost felt like it was burning. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she said, but ruined it when she couldn't quite meet his eyes. They both knew something was coming, and judging by Kincaid's last effort, it was going to be bad.

"Thanks, Max. I am filled with confidence."

"You should be. I'm very hard to kill."

"Not nearly enough," he whispered, leaning forward and kissing her, just a tiny brushing of lips. He leaned back and his eyes traveled lower. In better times, she might have thought he was staring at her breasts, but she knew what he was seeing. His hand reached out, but didn't actually touch her chest. "Hard to say I'm the one who'll keep you safe, when I'm the one who tried to kill you."

Max grasped his hand and pressed it over the wound, forcing him to get past his fear of hurting her. "We gonna go through all this again or are you gonna man up?"

Alec smirked. "I already threatened to rip your clothes off and have my way with you. How much more manly do you want me to be, Maxie?"

"How about not a moron?"

"You're just no fun today," Alec complained. He slid his hand to rest against her throat and she realized he was checking her pulse, worried for her, but unwilling to ask again, or maybe he knew she still wouldn't give him a straight answer.

The truth was that something wasn't right. Her skin felt too tight for her body. The light coming through the windows was too bright, the air around her too heavy. There was nothing specifically wrong, but there was more on the way. She just didn't know what.

"Come on," Alec said, coming to a decision. "Let's go see the info Mole's got."

Max held out her hand and helped him to his feet. He swayed, one arm held protectively across his abdomen. "You shouldn't be standing," she scolded.

"And you shouldn't have left the hospital," he countered. "Even if it is being haunted by a kissing bandit."

Max just sighed. "We have work to do. I'll try not to die and you try not to keel over, ok?"

Alec smiled tightly. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

_More soon..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first... MA. Sequel to _Loose the Hounds_ and _Dogs of War_.

Chapter Six

* * *

Alec held all of his muscles rigidly in control as they moved out of the office and as soon as they were within sight of the others, Max removed her support. If there was trouble brewing in the ranks, and Alec guessed there must be judging by Max's bellowed challenge earlier, then he and Max couldn't afford to look any weaker than they already did.

His body would heal. That's just the way they were designed. His only goal was to keep it together until he really was together because Max was in trouble and that meant his body could just get itself with the program sooner rather than later. They simply had too much on their plates for Alec to be on the bench.

Max and whatever they'd given her were first and foremost on his mind, but there was so much else. Just the everyday operations of TC were nearly enough to drive him and Max into early graves, but beyond that they were still going to have to deal with the fallout of their operatives who'd gone nuts, deal with any new disaster that had sprung up since so many jobs had been botched including nearly killing the mayor. That wasn't even mentioning that he and the others who'd been deprogrammed were a mess thanks to the methods required to root out Manticore's orders.

On top of that, Kincaid was still out there with all of Manticore's files at his disposal, the spy who had infiltrated the UN would have to be dealt with, that was _if_ he'd been caught, and now Alec was going to have to knock down someone who was challenging Max's authority.

Alec sighed. With all of that, a few hundred stitches seemed kind of trivial.

Alec had to stifle a groan as he walked down the metal stairs to where the others were all standing around a bank of computer screens and a large table where there were maps and other papers spread out. He just had to hold it together. His stomach felt like it was on fire and his head was still a mess from the Psy-Ops people digging through his brain, and now he had the sight of Max kissing Logan firmly stamped in his memory to remind him how badly he'd screwed up.

Alec approached the others at the table and methodically packed all of his issues away, focusing on the most immediate problem. "Ok, people, let's hear it. What's going on?"

Mole glanced between Max and Alec, methodically chewing on his cigar, his glance appraising. Finally, he huffed as if despairing of his bosses ever not being idiots.

Alec stopped beside Max and as he usually did placed his hand at the small of her back. Normally, she would shift, leaning closer to him, but instead, she flinched, just enough for him to notice. Immediately, he dropped his hand as Max turned her head to look at him. For a second, she seemed as disconcerted as he was, then she turned back to the table, dismissing it and him.

It was like a sharp stabbing sensation near his heart. Max said it hadn't been anything, but Alec had seen her kissing Logan. Max was cured and no matter how much she protested, that had to change the game. And yet Alec _knew_ she loved him. If he was absolutely certain of that, and he was, then he shouldn't doubt her. He _wouldn't_ doubt her.

Which meant the flinching was something else.

Alec clenched his fists at his side. Of all the times he needed to be in peak condition, this was it, and instead he was a complete disaster. Something was wrong with Max and they were definitely being backed into a corner. This thing with Logan was a distraction that he had to put behind him. He trusted exactly one person in this world, and he wouldn't let a pencil-pushing, wife-kissing, cyber-journalist ruin that.

"So," Mole was saying, "the team grabbed the UN spy and turned him over to Secretary Gordon's people, so at least that's one problem off our hands. He had a few things on him when they picked him up and we've used the info to do a little more digging."

"You've got a lead on Kincaid?" Alec asked.

Mole grinned around his cigar. "We think he's holed up here." He pointed to a map in front of him. "He's outside of D.C. in the suburbs in a dumpy apartment building. We're going to have to move fast, because it looks like they're making arrangements to get him out of the country. They're having trouble because security's been beefed up since the assassination attempt on Secretary Gordon, and every law enforcement agency in the country has a picture of this guy."

"So let's go get him." Alec rubbed his hands together, already wanting to wrap them around Kincaid's throat.

"Oh, no, you don't," Max immediately countered. "You're not going anywhere until you're better."

Alec looked up and glanced at the group surrounding them. Most of them seemed to be in agreement, but a couple, their glance was almost predatory. They were like sharks scenting blood in the water. A big guy named Sig in particular eyed him appraisingly. If Alec had to guess, that was who had brought on the shouting session earlier. Alec made a mental note to deal with the situation before it got out of hand.

"Mole, I want everything," Alec said, "building blueprints, mass transit lines, every way in and out of that area, and info on every known familiar we might run across. Dix, will the passes we already have get us around D.C.?"

"I'll get Gordon's office to issue new ones," Dix answered, "but I wouldn't use them unless you have to. Passes like that will get people's attention."

"Alec," Max hissed, "you can't do this."

He ignored her. "Get those passes, Dix. We need to be on the move as soon as the team's ready to go." When Max opened her mouth again Alec put his hand on her arm and squeezed gently asking her not to yell at him in front of everyone else. Max grimaced in pain and Alec immediately released her. She rubbed at her arm where Alec had grabbed her.

"What was that?" he whispered.

"Nothing," she bit out. "You're the one with the gorilla paws."

"Max-" Alec could barely breathe. Just the thought of hurting her was almost more than he could bear. Only a few days ago, he'd almost _killed_ her. It was sheer luck that she'd made it after he shot her. What if he didn't know his own strength anymore? His brain was practically Swiss cheese. But that didn't seem right either. It had to be part of what was going on with Max.

Alec _needed_ for Dr. Carr to figure out what Kincaid's people had given her. First the flinch and now just grabbing her arm had hurt her. His wife was in trouble, but he was still going to have to leave her to make sure she and the others remained safe. He forced himself to calm down. Panic attacks didn't instill confidence in leaders.

"Alec?" Max said softly, something in his expression alerting her to some of what he was thinking.

"I have to go," he said at the same volume, although he let his eyes tell her how much he didn't want to leave her right now. "You need to stay here and let them see you being in charge, steady as ever. They also need to know that I'm still capable of leading a team and keeping everyone safe. You get that right?"

"Doesn't mean I don't think you're an idiot," she muttered. Max rubbed her arm, but when she caught him watching her, she quickly let her hand drop.

"Idiot or not, you still have to let me go."

"And it really pisses me off, too."

Alec couldn't help a grin. He loved this woman more than his own life and that was saying something. "You promise to have these people whipped back into shape by the time I get back?" he asked.

"Do you promise to bring Kincaid back trussed up like a turkey?"

"I was thinking hogtied actually, but I can be flexible."

"I know you're flexible," she said with a lascivious glint in her eye. "That's why I want you back here."

"Max," he shook his head, "I am in awe of your ability to motivate the troops."

"Just get this done and get back here. No running off. No getting hurt, well... more, anyway. Got it?"

"Got it."

The others were all watching their exchange, which wasn't really surprising. Their lives depended on the decisions he and Max made. As a result, the entire room was watching as Alec leaned forward and kissed her. It was a show of solidarity that Mama and Papa Bear were still in love and looking out for the kiddies, but it was also a promise that Alec would be back as soon as he could possibly manage it.

"Be careful," Max whispered. She reached up and brushed her cheek where Alec's stubble had scratched her skin.

The action worried him, but he nodded. "You, too," he said, eyeing the crowd behind him.

She smiled. "Always."

* * *

Alec held his position outside the two story apartment building. They'd been watching it for the past several hours and Kincaid had returned along with his escort of three familiars only a few minutes before. They would hit them before they had a chance to get really settled, but after they were away from prying eyes on the street or in the other apartments.

"Ready on my mark," Alec said, and heard a chorus of positive responses in his earpiece.

Alec took a deep breath and allowed his mind to descend into that quiet, centered place of pinpoint precision that was required for a mission. Everything else fell away except for his team and what they were doing. There were no other worries, no concerns, nothing except his team and his gun, which had become a natural extension of his hand.

In that hollowed out place, he was vaguely reminded that the last time he had been there, Max had been shot, but that too fell away as he focused on the task at hand. He had to get Kincaid before he could get back to Max and that meant no room for anything but the job.

"Move in."

The rest of the team immediately snapped into action. The two he couldn't see would be climbing the rear of the building to the balcony leading into the back of the apartment. Another was already stationed on the roof, ready to sneak in a window on the side, while Alec and another came in the front. Normally Alec would have been on his own, but his team had quickly vetoed that idea saying that Max would rearrange their faces if he came back with even one scratch on him that hadn't been there before he left Seattle.

Alec had slept the entire plane trip, but that was barely a dent in the downtime his body was begging him for. It didn't matter. He couldn't rest until Max was safe. Her wellbeing was his primary concern, so he ignored what his body was telling him and led the way into the building and up the stairs.

He stopped outside the front door to the apartment, knowing the two at the back were poised on the second story balcony while the man on the roof was poised to break out a side window.

"Go in 3… 2…"

Alec's companion kicked in the door and he simultaneously heard glass breaking as the others made entry. Alec led the way, his gun at the ready, and put a bullet in the first Familiar who was stupid enough to poke his head out. Alec had learned the hard way not to give White's people the chance to fight. They were ferocious and religiously dedicated to obliterating the existence of transgenics. They showed no pity and killed any of them they could, and Alec was taking the shoot-first-don't-bother-asking-questions-later approach to self-defense where the Familiars were concerned.

He heard several faint popping noises and heard two more bodies hit the ground. That was all of the guards. That left just Kincaid, who, unfortunately, they needed alive. Alec and the members of his team very carefully cleared the apartment, working their way through until only one room at the rear of the apartment was left. The door was open and Alec led the way.

Kincaid sat in a wingback chair, wearing an expensive suit, his legs crossed and his hands folded in his lap, looking as if this were no more than a pleasant social visit rather than an armed invasion.

"Shoot me," he said calmly, "and Max dies."

* * *

_More soon..._


	7. Chapter 7

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first... MA. Sequel to _Loose the Hounds_ and _Dogs of War_.

_A huuuuge thank you to those of you who have reviewed. You're the reason for another chapter today..._

_So, last chapter, Alec had just walked in on Kincaid... On we go._

Chapter Seven

* * *

"You can't kill her if you're already dead," Alec said coldly. His finger tightened on the trigger, aching to end the man who had caused so much pain and hardship, but in the back of his mind he remembered Max's worried expression, her jittery reactions, and the doctors saying they didn't know what she'd been given.

"Go ahead and shoot," Kincaid replied, a smug expression on his face that made Alec want to kill him on general principle. "Max won't thank you for it."

Alec took a measured breath and eased off the trigger, setting his finger back on the guard. "What did your people give her?"

"Something that will ensure you cooperate."

Alec's eyes narrowed. "Cooperate with what?"

"We'll get to that." Kincaid uncrossed his legs and stood in one smooth movement. "Why don't you call Terminal City and check on her?"

"What?"

"Check on her," Kincaid said again. "I can wait," he added offhandedly.

Alec hesitated, his instincts warring inside of him. Half of him itched to put a bullet in Kincaid, but the other half was desperate to check on Max. Kincaid looked too smug, too sure that he had Alec where he wanted him. Finally, he came to a decision. He would speak to Max and reassure himself that she was all right, and then he would shoot Kincaid. It was a win-win.

"Slick?" Alec called and waited for the other man to step up beside him. "Shoot him if he moves."

Alec backed into the hallway and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He dialed Command, and silently prayed it would be Max who answered.

"_Alec_?"

Alec's stomach immediately started churning with dread. It was Mole and he'd used Alec's name. He only did that when the crap had hit the fan.

"Yeah. Is Max-"

"_It's bad. Get your ass back here. Make it soon_." Mole didn't bother to elaborate, just hung up.

Alec stalked back into the room and once again had to fight the urge to just shoot Kincaid. "What have you done?" he demanded.

"Don't worry," Kincaid replied blithely. "I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement."

"If you want the UN spy back-"

Again Kincaid cut him off. "Kill him. Interrogate him. I don't care," he said with complete disregard for his fellow Familiar. "Getting caught once is bad luck. Twice? That is simply… bad breeding. _That_ is unforgiveable."

"Then what-"

"You should go see Max. Make sure you fully appreciate the situation you're in. When you do, call this number." He held out a card with a phone number scrawled on it. He pushed past Alec and walked toward the front door of the apartment, casually stepping over the bodies of his fallen comrades.

Alec gritted his teeth. "Let's go."

* * *

Alec strode through the gates, a man on a mission. "Where is she?" he demanded, not even pausing in his stride.

"Your place," the guard at the gate called.

Alec broke into a run, not bothering to play it cool. This was too much, too many disasters in too short a time. The hours on the plane had been an interminable torture. His heart was clamoring in his chest, terror pushing him almost to the point of panic. One would expect at a certain point that he would be incapable of reacting to yet another catastrophe. A body only had so much adrenaline, and yet where Max was concerned, it didn't matter.

Alec blurred into the apartment building, ignoring his aching, over-stressed body as he pounded up the stairs. There were guards outside the door, Fred and Barney, a pair of wolves. Their eyes widened as they realized Alec was approaching and Fred held up a hand to stop him.

"You can't go in!" he said at a stage whisper.

"Why not?" Alec would have bellowed if he hadn't been so winded. His abdomen was on fire and he had to wrap an arm around his middle, refusing to look down for fear of seeing blood appearing through the dressings he knew were still in place.

"Because if you go barging in there you'll hurt her," Fred whispered.

Alec asked at the same volume, "Why are we whispering?"

"We don't know what's wrong with her, but it's like she's on overload. All of her senses have gone haywire. Too much light, too much sound…"

"Out of the way," he ordered, still whispering, and both transgenic guards obeyed immediately.

Alec stepped to the door, and carefully opened it. Inside it was almost pitch black, with just a hint of light peeking around the edges of the blinds. He heard a sound that was close to a whimper and froze.

"Close the door," Barney hissed, and Alec realized he was letting too much light into the room. He closed the door and after a few seconds his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Max was standing in the middle of the room, completely naked, her arms held out slightly away from her body. Alec moved as soundlessly as he could toward her. When he was near enough, he saw that her eyes were closed and her head was turned away from the windows.

Normally, the sight of a naked Max in the middle of their apartment would have filled him with all sorts of exciting ideas, none of them fit for polite company, but this… This was like a scene out of a nightmare. He knew something was wrong and yet he couldn't look away.

Max was clearly exhausted. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she was trembling with the effort to stay upright and immobile.

"Max?" he whispered faintly.

She winced, and Alec instinctively reached out toward her, anxious to soothe her.

"Don't touch me," she begged, so quietly he almost didn't hear. Alec let his hands fall, although he wanted desperately to wrap his arms around her.

"What is it?" he asked and this time her face twisted in pain at the sound of his voice.

"Hurts," was all she said.

"What?"

"Everything."

They'd said it was like she was on overload. The light was too bright, sounds were too loud. She must have taken off her clothes because the sensation was too much for her to bear. She was shaking like a leaf, holding her arms away from her body as if even that amount of touch, or pressure was more than she could take.

"What happened?" he asked. He hated to hurt her, but he had to know.

"Just got worse until I couldn't take it," she said on a breath.

He remembered now the wince when he'd set his hand at her back, how his beard had scraped her cheek. He remembered how she'd reacted when he'd taken her arm.

"I'm going to fix this," he promised.

"How?"

Her voice was a hushed, agony-filled plea for mercy and Alec knew he had to do something to alleviate the pain. It would take time to make this right and he couldn't bear for her to be in such torment while he worked.

"I'm sorry, baby."

He hit her. It was barely a love tap, but in the state she was in, it was enough to send her immediately into unconsciousness. Her shaking body sagged, but Alec caught her before she hit the floor. He gently lifted her in his arms, ignoring the strain on his abdominal muscles, yet wincing along with her when she moaned even in her sleep.

As always, he remarked at how light she was, so at odds with how he felt about her. Max was so full of life, so passionate, so fierce, that it seemed impossible that all of that fire and energy were in this one slip of a girl. Light as she was, as Alec carried her to their bed, he felt like he was carrying the weight of the world, at the very least, _his_ world.

Alec lay her down and arranged her in the bed, but did not pull a cover over her, guessing the added friction would hurt her. Eventually, the nerves on the underside of her body would deaden with the constant pressure and they wouldn't hurt her anymore. He could only hope her exhaustion and overwrought system would keep her asleep.

Alec strode to the door, new purpose in his step. He walked out, closed the door behind him and stood there for a moment between the two guards, Fred and Barney. They were hand-picked men, loyal to him and to Max, and some of Max's usual guards whenever there was trouble.

Right now... they were in trouble. They had insurrection breeding in the ranks, and with Max down, _again_, even if it had happened because she was defending the rest of them, things were going to get ugly, and fast, if their disastrous luck held. Alec didn't have time for this. He needed to rip Kincaid's lungs out... right after he told him how to fix Max. In the meantime, however, Alec had to keep Max safe from their own people.

"No one in or out. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," they said in chorus.

"Anyone make a play while I was gone?"

"Sig is still nosing around, seeing if he can drum up support," Fred answered gravely.

Barney added, "He's stepped it up since Max got sick again."

Alec nodded his understanding. "He getting anywhere?"

"He has a few people, mostly from his old unit." Fred grinned, flashing his wolf-like canines. "But most of us know he's an ass."

"Worse, he has a temper, like... eat-his-own-young kind of temper," Barney observed. "If he takes over, the rest of us will desert like rats on a sinking ship. He'll get us all killed, if he doesn't do it himself for insubordination."

Alec gritted his teeth and pulled the card that Kincaid had given him out of his pocket. "Watch Max."

"Yes, sir," they once again chorused.

"If Sig comes anywhere near her," Alec's voice was barely a growl, "kill him."

"With pleasure," Fred said, teeth flashing. "We've got old business I'd love to settle."

Alec looked down at the card. "I've got to make a call."

* * *

_More soon... Either tomorrow or Monday depending on my motivation..._


	8. Chapter 8

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first...

Chapter Eight

* * *

Alec stood in the middle of Command at the central table normally used for spreading out maps and paperwork. The table was surrounded on all sides by other transgenics, everyone as silent as the tomb. The table was empty except for one thing, a telephone.

Alec dialed the phone and then pushed the button to put it on speaker so that not only those near him, but everyone crowded inside Command could hear.

"_I take it you got the message_," Kincaid said without preamble.

Alec's hands were fists at his sides, wanting to smash Kincaid's teeth in. "Loud and clear."

"_Good. Then we can come to an arrangement. You need something and so do I_."

"Just tell me what you want," Alec snapped.

"_Now, now... Feeling a little wound up, are we_? _No reason for this to become unpleasant,_" Kincaid said breezily.

"This isn't unpleasant," Alec replied through clenched teeth. "Unpleasant comes later."

Kincaid sighed. "_Are we going to keep chatting while Max continues to worsen or are we going to get down to business_?"

"What have you done to her?" The words slipped out before he could call them back. He knew his fear was showing, but he couldn't hide it. Not after the riot, not after the shooting. It was too much.

"_A minor alteration to the virus that was already given to her. It was meant to be used as a kill switch if she failed to meet mission specifications. Suffice it to say that her nervous system now has a very set shelf life_."

"You can fix it?"

"_Provided we come to an arrangement very soon_."

"So get on with it," Alec ordered.

"_You will retrieve a file_."

"What kind of file?"

"_That is of no concern to you. The file is being compiled by a federal agent working out of the Hollybush Offices in Washington D.C_."

"Is there a reason you can't get this file yourself?"

"_Funny you should mention that. You shot the team that was going to take care of this little task. I suppose I could endanger more of my people, but why should I when there is a perfectly good group of genetic trash that I can coerce into getting the job done_?"

"You infected Max _before_ we took out your team," Alec growled.

"_Very true_," Kincaid replied, clearly pleased with himself. "_I had other plans, but this will do just as well. Maybe those other plans will still come to pass. Who knows_..."

Alec had to grit his teeth to keep from smashing the phone into bits. The smug bastard was going to have to die and Alec was going to be the one to do it. Soon.

"_In the meantime, you will break into the office of an agent named Clark on the third floor and you will retrieve the Stephens file. Call me when you have it. We will meet. I will take the file and you can have the cure_."

"How do I know you can fix her?"

Alec heard a very ugly, derisive sound over the speaker that had to be a laugh. "_Oh, I can't fix her_," he said. "_She'll still be an abomination… but I can cure this little problem_."

"Bastard," Alec snarled.

"_Better a bastard than a thing made in a test tube_," Kincaid shot back coldly. "_You have twenty four hours. I suppose you can take longer if you really want to, but Max won't be much good after that. Either way will be fine with me_."

"Twenty four hours," Alec echoed and hit the disconnect button on the phone so hard that the plastic snapped.

Silence fell over the room as everyone processed the conversation. Finally, Alec looked toward Mole and Dix. "I'm going to need blueprints, security system info, the works… anything you can find on that building and this Agent Clark, too. Slick?" Alec turned slightly toward his team member who was standing just behind him. "Get the rest of the team up and running. I want to be on a plane in fifteen minutes." He turned back toward Mole. "Once you have everything together, you can forward it to us. We don't have time to wait around here until you can get it."

"On it," was all Mole said.

"Hold off on that, Mole," came a voice from one side of the crowd. "This is a bad idea. No way should we send a team for this."

All movement stopped at the sound of the voice daring to countermand Alec's orders. He turned to find Sig standing only a few feet away, his feet braced for a fight.

Sig was a big guy. He wasn't meant for stealth or any sort of mission requiring suave sophistication. He was a bulldog, complete with ugly, blunted features, and a Cro-Magnon overhanging brow. He looked exactly like what he was, a blunt instrument, and apparently he thought like one, too.

"Sig?"

"What?" he grunted.

"I'm trying to figure something out."

"What's that?"

Alec met the bigger man's gaze steadily, a blatant challenge. "Are you stupid or just suicidal?"

Fury crossed Sig's face and he took a step toward Alec. "What did you say to me?"

"Because if you think I'm going to let you get in my way while Max is _dying_ because she's trying to take care of all of us, then you're either a moron or you have a death wish."

"I'm only saying what everybody else is too freakin' chicken to say."

"Mole?" Alec asked, deceptively calm. "Do we have any people with chicken DNA?"

"We got a lot o' things," Mole answered, glowering, "but nobody's yellow."

Alec's eyes narrowed, a clear warning. "One of our own is in trouble, Sig, and we never leave a man behind."

"That's crap and you know it," Sig replied hotly. "We were all at Manticore. Every last one of us had to leave somebody behind. Manticore ordered us to leave 'em, or worse, we had to put 'em down ourselves. What's best for the team in the long run is what matters. Sometimes you gotta leave a weak one to save everybody else."

"Max will kick your ass for calling her the weak one." Alec gave him a nasty grin. "You get that, right?"

"She's just one person," Sig shot back. "We can't afford to expend our resources on someone who's already a lost cause."

Alec was across the room, smashing his fist into Sig's face before he even realized he'd moved. He swept his legs out from beneath him and slammed him onto the ground, planting a foot on his chest.

"She is my _wife_," Alec snarled. "She is your _boss_. And she is the person that taught me not to put a bullet into anyone who pissed me off, so you'd better be thanking her that you don't have an extra vent right now." He bent down close and got right in Sig's face. "Is that _understood_?" he roared.

"Yeah," Sig said through clenched teeth.

Alec dug his heel into the other man's breastbone, putting enough pressure on it that Sig would be feeling it for a while. "What was that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then keep your mouth _shut_." He increased the pressure enough that Sig had trouble drawing a breath. "If I get back and find out you caused problems, I won't be happy. And frankly, I'm already in a crappy mood."

He stepped back and Sig immediately bounced to his feet, radiating fury. Alec chose to ignore him. If Sig was bent on retaliation, then Alec would deal with that later.

"Chop, chop, people." Alec clapped his hands and immediately everyone burst into motion. "I want wheels up in ten." He looked at Mole and Dix, the first looking amused and the second, stunned by the scene they'd just witnessed. "Get me the information. We're going to be cutting this way too close."

"What are you gonna do?" Mole asked, tossing one mangled cigar aside and pulling out a fresh one.

Alec smirked. "I've got an idea."

"Ya don't say." Mole mirrored his smirk. "Kid, I think you were born gettin' ideas that will get your ass in trouble."

Alec cocked his head to one side as if in thought. "Ferret DNA maybe?"

"I still think Manticore managed to stir in some moron."

"Max would probably agree with you," Alec said, the thought like a cold bucket of water splashed in his face. He motioned Mole to come closer. "I need you to do something else."

"What?"

"Part of the idea. And we've got to play this just right."

Mole leaned forward and grinned. "How pissed is Fearless Leader gonna be when she finds out about this?"

"Not a bit. She'll shower us with praise for a job well done."

Mole raised an eyebrow. "That pissed, huh?" He laughed, a low dusty chuckle. "I'm in."

* * *

_More soon..._


	9. Chapter 9

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first...

_Sorry, y'all... the Sunday afternoon nap was calling to me and it takes a whole heck of a lot for me to give it up._

_Now, Alec's got to get his hands on that file for Kincaid..._

Chapter Nine

* * *

Alec spread the plans out on the floor of the stolen van taking them toward the Hollybush offices in D.C. Mole and Dix had come through with flying colors. They had the entire security layout. They had the building's blueprints from the heavily secured walking tunnels beneath the building that led to various surrounding offices and parking garages, all the way to the rooftop. They had the office assignments for every agent in the building, all the way down to which security guards were working this particular shift. With so little lead time, it would still be a seat-of-their-pants op, but at least they would have good intel to work with.

The van took a corner sharply and Alec had to brace against the side to keep from falling over. The added pressure on his abdomen stole his breath away. He'd tried to sleep again on the plane from Seattle, knowing there was nothing else he could do until they got the information that would allow them to make plans for the op, but he'd been too worried. He'd left Max alone again, and now that Sig had been publicly humiliated, Alec had no doubt he'd lash out if he thought he could get away with it. In addition to that, every time Alec closed his eyes, his Swiss cheese brain reminded him that the Psy-Ops people had been digging around in there only a few days before. He tried to sleep and all he could see was blood and death, failure and pain.

A wave of exhaustion suddenly passed over him. His whole body just _hurt_. He'd been ignoring it because he had no other choice, but eventually it was going to catch up with him. He would crash and he just prayed it would be after he got all of this fixed and not before. Max was too important. She was hurting. She was _depending_ on him.

Alec ordered himself to focus on the plans in front of him despite how the drawing seemed to swim in his vision. He couldn't afford to mess this up.

Slick, who was beside him also studying the plans, glanced toward him. "You sure you're up for this?" he asked quietly. "You don't look so good."

"I'll make it," Alec said. He had to.

Slick didn't seem particularly impressed, but he returned to staring at the blueprints, committing it all to memory in case of disaster.

Mole had gone above and beyond on the intel, but they still didn't know what they were really looking for. Agent Clark didn't have anything particularly special about him, and either they hadn't hacked into the right systems to find the files they were looking for, or there was nothing to find. Alec could only hope Kincaid knew what he was talking about.

"30 seconds," one of the guys called from up front.

"Ready," Alec called back. He and Slick both moved toward the sliding door at the side. They were both in fed style suits, stolen just for the occasion.

The van stopped several blocks away from the building and Alec and Slick casually stepped out onto the sidewalk. Alec brushed his suit coat down smooth and then he and Slick headed for the Hollybush office building while the others remained in the van taking care of surveillance. They'd already hacked into the building's security cameras and would be feeding information to them through their ear pieces.

"Alec?" Slick said, barely audible over the noise of passing traffic.

"What?"

"You wanna do me a favor?"

Alec glanced toward the other man. He was younger than him and looked like a strong breeze might knock him over, but Alec knew he could get them through almost any locked door in record time. Time and time again, Slick had proven to be a loyal and very, very valuable addition to Alec's team. Beyond that, however, Slick had shown himself to be a good guy, steady and solid when Alec had a tendency toward the wild and impulsive. He'd become a friend.

That didn't mean Alec was really feeling in the mood for a heart to heart right now. "What do you want?" he bit out.

"Take it down a notch," Slick requested, although without sounding disrespectful. "We're supposed to be feds. Try not to look like you care so much. You're just going into your office like you do every boring day of the week."

Alec had to grit his teeth. He knew it wasn't good for the job, but all he could see was Max, standing in the middle of their apartment shaking like a leaf, exhausted and in agony. The image had taken over everything else, including his ability to zone out and just do the job.

"Right." Alec shrugged the tension from his shoulders and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"You're not the only one who's pissed, ya know," Slick said straightly. "We all like Max. Well, most of us anyway," he qualified. "Compared to Manticore, working for you two is like a dream job. We're gonna make this right."

He sounded so sure, that Alec almost believed him. He needed to believe him. "Ok," was all he said, but he forced himself to calm down for Max's sake. He'd been in the middle of crapstorms before. He'd been surrounded, bullets flying, fellow soldiers dying and he'd still done his job. Right now that was all that mattered. The job.

The Hollybush was an older government building that had seen better days. That wasn't saying much though. Since the Pulse, the entire country looked like it had seen better days. The office building was medium sized, not too large, but big enough that there would be constant traffic in and out, enough that the guards wouldn't necessarily remark on two new faces, even if one of them _really_ looked like that guy who'd shown up on TV a couple of times.

They approached the main doors and walked inside like they did it every day. Two uniformed men armed with machine guns stood just inside. Beyond them were a walk-through metal detector station and another pair of armed guards. Alec and Slick both took out their stolen ID and pulled their guns from beneath their jackets following the lead of the people entering in front of them, setting the guns down on a table then passing through the metal detector to pick up their weapons on the other side after one of the guards gave their ID a cursory glance.

Once again, they followed the flow of traffic, this time toward the stairs. Apparently the elevators were too expensive to be maintained, the ones for the peons anyway. Alec was willing to bet the bigwigs had one. It was always that way.

Alec led the way to the third floor, his body protesting at climbing the stairs, but he ignored it as they neared their goal. There were far fewer people now that they were out of the flow of all the incoming workers which meant they were more noticeably not one of the usual employees, so he kept a sharp eye out.

"_The office should be around the corner, three doors down on your right_," Alec heard through his ear piece. "_You've got two males headed toward you_."

Alec and Slick came around the corner and saw the two men walking toward them. "So I told Simon," Alec bluffed, "there was no way that report was going to get done this week." He turned his head toward Slick so that he was facing away from the agents, since he was more recognizable from his TV appearances. "After the mess with Graham, there's no way it's gonna happen."

Slick picked up the improvised story. "If you can't get the guy to cough up the information, then it doesn't matter anyway."

"Tell me about it," Alec muttered, trying for the slouch of the typical beleaguered civil servant. He saw one of the men nod in sympathy and then they were past and around the corner.

Alec stopped outside the office door. Judging from the information they'd gathered, there were several agents sharing the office and Agent Clark, who was slightly senior, was in a smaller adjoining office beyond. Clark's office also had a door into another large room housing a second pool of agents and desks. If something went wrong they would at least have a couple of ways out that didn't require breaking out a window and jumping three stories. Doable, but not the most inconspicuous.

"Stop worrying," Slick whispered. "You look so bad, _I_ barely recognize you."

"Thanks for that," Alec ground out. He opened the door and strode in like he owned the place. Several men looked up from their desks scattered around the room. "Agent Clark?"

The closest one pointed to the small office toward the far rear corner of the room that they'd already pinpointed on the blueprints, and the rest of the agents went back to their paperwork.

Alec and Slick threaded their way through the maze of desks, cataloguing the position of every person and every piece of furniture in case a quick exit became necessary. No matter how well planned this operation was, there was always the possibility of it going wrong.

Alec stepped inside the office first, followed by Slick who shut the door behind him. Agent Clark was a balding, middle-aged man although still trim and from the look in his eyes, Alec would say a lot sharper than the average person.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually." Alec smiled serenely, adding only a hint of understated menace. "You can give us the Stephens file."

The man frowned. He put the pen he'd been writing with down and sat back in his chair to give Alec his full attention. "I beg your pardon?"

"The Stephens file. We need it." There wasn't a lot of finesse involved in this part of the plan, but they were on the clock.

Clark's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"Someone who needs that file."

"Well, unless you have some sort of paperwork from the director, you can get out of my office," the man snapped. "No one sees that file 'til I'm done."

"I don't have time for this." Alec pulled his gun and aimed it at Clark's head. "I want that file."

The man's eyes widened. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"Do I look like I'm having fun?" Alec growled.

Suddenly, the second door into the office opened and then closed just as quickly. Knowing Slick would have his back, Alec didn't take his eyes off Clark. He did, however, feel it when the man raised a gun and set it against his temple.

Slick already had his own handgun pointed at the newest arrival. "Don't move."

"Put the guns down," the man replied. "Both of you. _Now_. Or I'll kill you and figure everything else out later."

* * *

_More soon..._


	10. Chapter 10

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first...

Chapter 10

* * *

The gun was a solid weight against Alec's temple. He could easily disarm the party-crasher, but he had a sneaking suspicion he knew who it was.

"Alec, if you think I'm kidding, then you can think again. Put the gun _down_."

Alec immediately recognized the voice. It was Terry, Secretary Gordon's head of security. They'd dealt with each other whenever he and Max had crossed paths with the Homeland Security Secretary, which was often enough since Gordon was the one who'd made it possible for them to have Terminal City and for them to set up Freak, Inc.

"Since you're here," Alec kept his tone composed, "you must know what's going on and I really don't have time to mess with this guy. I need that file."

Terry pulled his gun away from Alec's head and he heard him place it in his holster. "I understand. But pointing your gun at him really isn't going to get him to move any faster. It's going to make him dig in his heels."

Alec dropped his gun and faced the Secret Service agent. "Then what would you suggest? You should be helping, not getting in the way."

"How about this?" Terry pulled a letter from his breast coat pocket and handed it to Agent Clark. The man took it with shaking hands, but did not open it.

"Who are you people?" he demanded.

Terry pulled out his ID and flashed his very impressive looking badge and credentials. "We were never here today. You've never seen any of us. Is that clear?"

"What?" the man asked, wide-eyed.

"Just read your letter," Terry ordered and the man finally began to rip open the envelope.

"Gordon sent you?" Alec asked him.

Terry nodded. "When he got the call from Mole, it took us a little while to figure out the best way to make this work for all of us with the least danger possible." He smiled. "After everything you did for him, the Secretary wanted to come himself, but it wasn't safe."

"So he sent you in his place."

"Yes." Terry held out his hand. "I never did get to thank you personally." His eyes fell to Alec's torso where he'd been so badly injured in the assassination attempt. "After what you did to save us, I'm surprised you're even standing."

"You're not the only one," Slick muttered.

Alec ignored the remark and finally accepted the man's outstretched hand. "Just doing our job."

Terry made a huffing noise that might have been a laugh. "I really don't want your job."

"Some days, I don't either," Alec replied with a chagrinned smile.

"How is Max?" Terry asked more quietly.

"Dying." The word was like a gunshot in the quiet room, startling them all. "He made sure I would have no choice except to do what he wants. And I will. I'll do whatever I have to do to save her."

Terry held up a hand in an attempt to placate him. "That's why we're all here. The Secretary owes you, not to mention the fact that he likes you two. You and your people are valuable assets. He'll protect you if it's at all possible."

"Is this for real?" Agent Clark demanded.

Everyone in the room looked toward the man, almost having forgotten he was even there. "Very," Terry answered him.

"This letter is from Secretary Gordon, himself," the man said, mouth agape. He held up the letter which was on very official and expensive looking letterhead.

"Yes," Terry affirmed.

He blinked several times. "The Secretary of Homeland Security."

"Yes."

"You expect me to believe this?"

Terry shrugged. "I am more than willing to call him personally if you need reassurance."

"I… uhh…"

Terry didn't hesitate. He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and punched in a long list of numbers. While he dialed he said, "The Secretary has already spoken with your superior, but he cannot call you directly, as it appears your line is bugged." Terry put the cell phone to his ear and waited several seconds.

"_Yes_?" Alec knew the agent couldn't hear anything, but it was reassuring to hear the Secretary's voice and to know that he was on-board with getting this problem taken care of as swiftly as possible.

"I'm here," Terry explained. "He needs a little prompting."

"_Put him on the phone_."

Terry covered the receiver with his hand. "No names. Do not mention the file directly. We clear?"

Agent Clark nodded, still half-stunned and took the phone. He swallowed nervously and put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"_You got my letter_?" Gordon sounded pleasant, even jovial despite the gravity of the matter. Alec knew he was trying to make sure it seemed like anything but a deadly serious underhanded operation going on.

"Yes… yes, sir."

"_Wonderful, wonderful. Everything was clear_?"

Agent Clark straightened his shoulders, finally getting himself together. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, then nodded although Gordon couldn't see him. "Yes, it shouldn't be too hard to manage."

"_Excellent. We will have to get together once this is taken care of. How does Tuesday sound_?"

"Tuesday?" he repeated, surprised again.

Secretary Gordon chuckled as if this really were just a friendly conversation. "_How about lunch? I'll call again to set the time once I've checked my schedule_."

"That'll be fine."

"_Good talking to you. Until Tuesday then_."

They both said goodbye and Agent Clark handed the phone back to Terry. "What kind of crap have I got myself into?"

"Crap that's way above your pay grade," Terry answered.

Agent Clark nodded. He sat back down at his desk and opened a drawer, pulling out a manila folder and setting it on top of the desk. "The truth is, the more I looked into this, the more I had a feeling someone would be showing up on my doorstep."

"This file is hard copy only?"

"I started getting really paranoid after I began looking into this guy. Early on, I was almost certain the file had been hacked, so I decided to keep it as a hard copy and I've been keeping it locked up."

Alec's hands curled into fists, annoyed with the chatter between the two agents. He, and more importantly Max, had no time for this.

"I really don't care what's in the file," Alec cut in impatiently. "All I care about is Max and I want that file _now_."

"You have two minutes to make a copy," Terry offered.

Agent Clark nodded and again held up the letter he'd been given. "The Secretary asked me to turn over one copy to you and give the original to a man named Alec. That must be you?" When Alec nodded, the man moved toward a large ancient looking copier standing against the wall and began setting papers in the tray to be copied.

"Are you who I think you are?" Clark asked.

Alec raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure asking questions like that is what got you into this situation in the first place." The agent shifted uneasily and Alec guessed he must have sounded a little nastier than he'd intended. Either that or he'd freaked the guy out by confirming he had a living, breathing transgenic in his office.

"If I were you," Terry stepped in, his voice a clear warning, "I would forget you just noticed that."

Clark's eyes nervously moved between Alec and Slick, but once again Alec saw that flash of intelligence and Alec guessed Agent Clark would be going over and over this conversation for quite a while, gleaning everything he could. Alec stored the information away for later. If they got out of this, knowing someone in Clark's position might prove useful. And they were going to get out of this. He _would_ save Max.

"The Secretary may have more questions for you when you speak to him," Terry told Clark, "but for now, one of the people in his office will continue the investigation. This is a very serious matter and must be undertaken in the utmost secrecy. You understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"As soon as a secondary matter has been seen to," he looked toward Alec, and he knew he meant ripping Kincaid's lung out, "we will notify your director that your services may be needed to assist us."

"Fine."

Terry turned toward Alec. "The Secretary expects that file to be kept out of the wrong hands. Is that understood?"

"He won't get away from me this time," Alec promised.

Terry nodded and smirked. "I don't doubt it. I actually kind of pity the guy."

"Don't," Alec bit out. "He deserves everything he gets and then some."

"Fair enough," Terry acquiesced easily, probably sensing how close Alec was to the edge.

Alec was silent for a moment, his mind going over plans and more plans, then adding contingencies, just in case. He suddenly realized his eyes were closed and his teeth were clenched so tightly his jaw was hurting.

"We'll get it, Alec," Slick said calmly. "We'll get it and we'll get back to her."

Agent Clark cleared his throat and Alec looked up to see him holding out a file. Terry, he noticed, had already accepted his and was secreting it away beneath his fed approved suit coat.

Alec took the file and nodded to the man in thanks. He held out his hand toward Terry, who accepted it easily. "Thank you. And thank the Secretary for me."

"Like I said," the man answered, "we owe you."

Alec nodded, a wry smile crossing his lips. "We're kind of playing tag at this point in the favors department, aren't we?"

Terry answered with a low chuckle. "As long it gets the job done."

Alec straightened, bracing himself for what was ahead. "Kincaid won't know what hit him."

* * *

_Next up... the big showdown..._


	11. Chapter 11

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first...

_Ye olde showdown..._

Chapter Eleven

* * *

Alec stood in the shadows, scanning the crowd. It was a fairly busy lunchtime and the central square which only allowed pedestrian traffic was packed with tables of office workers all chattering over their sandwiches. His call to Kincaid had been met with a terse reply to meet him in the square in an hour.

Alec looked down at his watch. It was past time, but there was no sign of Kincaid. The longer he waited, the more agitated he got. He imagined he could feel Max weakening. It had been hours since they'd left Seattle, and there were only a few remaining now before it would be too late for her.

Slick frowned fiercely, searching the crowd. "This is a bad idea."

"Of course it is," Alec answered.

"No. I mean a _really_ bad idea."

That made him smile. "Well, it won't be the first I've ever had."

Slick grabbed his arm and spun him around. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"No more than usual," Alec sad offhandedly, but the burning anger he had been working so hard to bank began to surface again.

"Let me make this real plain for you, Alec," Slick said seriously, more stern than Alec had ever seen him. "You can't die today."

"Actually the laws of physics-"

"No. You _can't_ die today. I don't know if you think Max is dying so you've got a death wish, or if you're just so pissed you can't think straight, but if Max dies..."

Alec's heart thudded and for a moment he thought he might be sick. Just those words were almost enough to bring him to his knees.

"Listen," Slick put his hand on Alec's shoulder and tightened his fingers painfully. "If she dies then we're gonna need you. You're gonna have a breakdown and I get that, but afterward we're gonna _need_ you. We'll need you more than ever, so you _can't die today_. You got that?"

"Yeah," Alec managed to say past his constricted throat. It never ceased to amaze him the faith that the others put in him and Max. Max, he understood somewhat. She was bossy and she got things done and she'd been out in the world a lot longer than the rest of them. Alec, however... He'd never been much of a team player. He'd been way too interested in trying to keep himself out of trouble, or to get back in the boss' good graces, or to make a buck. Alec wasn't exactly hero material.

"Promise me you're not gonna do anything crazy," Slick urged.

"I'll do what I have to do to keep us all safe," Alec answered.

Slick's expression softened, heading toward resignation. "That wasn't really the response I was hoping for."

Alec's focus suddenly sharpened, zeroing in on the one person he'd been searching for. "He's here."

Slick immediately began speaking into his mic, giving directions to pinpoint their target to the others on the team, stationed strategically around the square. Kincaid walked toward a crowded set of tables and chose the last empty one just large enough for two people to sit.

"Everybody, be ready," Alec said. He took a step out of the shadows and then headed for Kincaid's table, wading through the crowd. Kincaid saw him coming and kept his watchful eyes on him as he approached. Alec stopped and stood beside the table until Kincaid motioned for him to sit.

The man looked much as he had the last time. He was wearing an expensive suit and his hair was styled neatly. "You have the file?"

Alec pulled the folder from beneath his jacket and set it on the table in front of him. When Kincaid began to reach for it, he placed his hand flat on top of it. "Not until you take care of your end of the bargain."

Kincaid sighed. He pulled a cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number. "Do it," was all he said and then hung up. He met Alec's gaze. "A messenger will arrive at the gates to Terminal City in a few minutes. He has no association with us, so don't bother trying to question him. He will be carrying a package that contains a syringe. Give it to Max and she will recover within a few days, maybe sooner given how quickly you heal. Now give me the file."

"Not yet." Alec pulled out his own cell phone and dialed Command.

Mole picked up the phone. "_Aren't you supposed to be busy_?"

"A messenger will be at the gates in a minute. He should be carrying the cure for Max. Take it to her and call me when you're there." Mole was already barking instructions as Alec hung up.

"Now," Kincaid urged. "The file."

"When I know Max is in the clear," Alec replied coolly. "How about you tell me what's so important about this file."

Kincaid chuckled and shook his head. "If I know anything, then I know you've made a copy of it. You'll have ample time to figure out why it's important."

"If you know so much, why don't you just save me some time and effort? This cat and mouse game is getting a little old."

"It is, isn't it?" Kincaid sighed. "I should really just kill you. With this crowd, I won't have any trouble getting away. I have as many men surrounding this meeting as you do. My guess is the spots for a good lookout are getting a little crowded around this square."

"Probably. A side effect of wanting to kill each other on sight."

Kincaid shrugged. "We're hand-picked, carefully chosen for the right genes, bred for generations to be superior. You're a bunch of animals. We were bound to have issues."

"You're a show dog and I'm a mutt?"

"If you want to think of it that way."

"Given the world we live in, I like to think of us as junkyard dogs. We're mutts you don't want to cross."

Kincaid gave him a cruel smile. "And yet here you are, coming to heel when I whistle."

Before Alec could respond, a harassed looking waitress appeared at their table. "Can I get you gentleman something?"

"Whiskey, neat," Kincaid said, smiling at the waitress. "We need to celebrate. We're about to close a big deal."

"Good for you guys," she said, barely managing to sound sincere.

Alec had to grit his teeth. "Nothing for me," he said. Although he would like an entire bottle of scotch after what he'd just heard, he doubted he could keep it down.

"Be right back."

Alec's phone rang. He snapped it open and held it to his ear. "It there?"

"_It's a syringe_," Mole said. "_We supposed to give it to her_?"

"How is she?"

"_Well, she's naked for one thing_." And unless Alec was wrong Mole was highly embarrassed. "_Kinda wish you'd mentioned that before I barged in here. I'm scarred for life_."

Max wouldn't be too pleased either if she found out anyone other than Alec had seen her in such a state. And he didn't just mean without her clothes on. She didn't like anyone seeing her at her weakest.

"Is she awake?"

"_Sorta_."

"What does that mean?"

"_It means she's in so much pain she's nearly out of her mind_." His voice dropped to a low growl. "_She doesn't have long. I think Kincaid's twenty four hours was probably generous_."

Alec felt the blood drain from his face, felt his lungs tighten as he forgot how to breathe. Max was dying.

Even if this was another trick to string them along, he was out of options. He would just have to trust that Kincaid had produced what he promised. If not... then Max was dead anyway, and the last place Alec wanted to be was sitting at this table with her murderer when he could be flying back to her side to be there for her at the end.

"Give it to her," Alec ordered.

"_You sure_?"

"Just do it."

Alec heard Mole put the phone down, muttering the whole time. A second later, Alec heard him say, "_Sorry, Princess_."

Max screamed. It was the sound of pure agony. Alec closed his eyes, the vibrations running straight through his body nearly stopping his heart cold. "Stop, please stop," she begged. He heard Mole scrabbling to pick the phone up, and he was breathing hard, but still the sound was not enough to cover the sound of Max's sobbing.

"_It's done_," Mole said, sounding rattled. "_Don't ever make me do that again. You got it_?"

"Tell her I'm on my way," Alec said, and closed the phone, feeling oddly empty, broken.

"Why the long face?" Kincaid asked. "I would have thought you'd be rather chipper. Your girlfriend will be fine, and all you had to do to make it happen was hand over one little file that doesn't mean anything to you anyway."

"I will make it my personal mission to find out why it's important to you."

Kincaid smirked. "You do that."

"Here you go," the waitress said, slightly out of breath. She set the drink down in front of Kincaid. "Anything else I can get you? Something to eat?"

"No thanks," Alec said grimly.

"Great. Just flag me down if you need anything else." She pulled a ticket out of her pad and set it on the table before rushing away.

Alec picked up the file and held it out across the table for Kincaid to take. The man took it and tucked it beneath his suit coat.

Kincaid picked up his glass and downed the entire contents in one gulp. "Excellent," he said with satisfaction and set the glass down with a clank. "The perfect ending to this little battle of wits. Sadly... you lost, but then that was to be expected."

Alec felt a sharp jerk that rocked him back in his seat, followed by a stabbing pain in his side just below the level of the table. He looked down and watched as blood appeared on his shirt. Kincaid's hand was underneath the table. He had to have used a suppressor or the entire crowd would have heard the gunshot.

"Well, this has been fun, but I really hope you die this time. I'm tired of dealing with you. Our plan for Max went awry, but we'll get to her soon enough."

"You know... I learned a lot of things at Manticore."

Kincaid snorted. "I really don't have time for more of this little heart to heart."

"You'll want to hear this," Alec assured him, his tone friendly. "Your life depends on it."

Kincaid's eyes narrowed. "Make it quick."

Alec could feel his breaths becoming shallower. He didn't know what kind of bullet Kincaid had used, but it wasn't a normal one and it wasn't good. "Like I said... I learned a lot at Manticore... Distraction, sleight-of-hand... But you guys... you guys taught me something new."

"Get on with it," Kincaid growled.

"Micro-explosives. Your buddy White introduced me to them. Tiny little things. You'd barely even notice they were there... if you didn't know to look for them." Alec felt a smile forming on his lips and knew it was an ugly thing, filled with fury and vengeance. "As a matter of fact... you could swallow them... and not even realize."

"What?"

Alec glanced down at Kincaid's glass and waited for the significance to dawn on him.

Kincaid blanched. "You..."

"There were probably four or five in that little glass. And the funny thing about them... they're kind of clingy. If I had to guess... they didn't all... make it to your stomach." He set his hand high on his chest. "I'm betting they're lodged... somewhere a little higher up."

"But..."

"They're on a timer," Alec said. "You've got a couple of minutes, tops." Alec had to work to breathe. He coughed and had to grab a napkin to wipe away the blood. "You see the other thing... you people taught me... was to never let you get away... if I could help it. You'll kill us all... if we give you the chance... and I can't let that happen."

"I don't believe you," Kincaid snapped.

"I don't care," Alec said tiredly.

"You'll pay for this," Kincaid swore. "You'll all pay."

Alec put the napkin to his lips again, coughing into it, bright scarlet blood plainly visible as he pulled it away.

Alec looked at his watch. "I have to get back to Max."

Abruptly, Kincaid's body jerked. He fell forward onto the table, then his body jerked more violently as several detonated at once and then one last time. He fell to one side, knocking over his chair and the table as well in a clatter of glass and silverware. The area around them burst into movement.

"_What's wrong with him_?"

"_What happened_?"

"_Somebody call 911_."

"_Is it a heart attack or something_?"

"_He looks dead_."

"_Everybody get back. I'm a doctor_."

Alec stood slowly, ignoring all the commotion. With difficulty, he bent over and picked up the file Kincaid had dropped.

Alec headed toward the edge of the crowd where he could see Slick waiting for him. One by one, the rest of his team also appeared as he moved in their direction. Terry, too, appeared to have tagged along.

"What did I say?" Slick said angrily.

"How... was I supposed... to know... he'd..."

"Just shut up," Slick said. "Max'll forgive _you_. It's us she's gonna kill."

"Here." Alec held out the file for him to take. Slick tried to hand it to Terry who refused to take it.

"One of our people is already going over the file. Secretary Gordon asked you to do the same. We'll compare notes later." He stepped closer to Alec. "Now, let's get you to a hospital."

Alec fell to his knees, no longer able to hold himself up. He'd been running on fumes for so long and now he'd done all he could and his body was done. Just _done_.

"Max... Get me... to Max."

"We will," Slick promised. He put one hand around Alec's arm to keep him from landing face first on the pavement. "Alec, you gotta stay awake. We'll get you to her, but you gotta stay awake."

"Ok." Alec tipped forward and felt someone else take his other arm. He tried to stay awake, but it was too much. He'd done what he had to do. Max would be fine. Kincaid was dead. He could relax now. Everything around him faded away and finally he could rest.

* * *

_Wrap up soon..._


	12. Chapter 12

**Dog Will Have His Day**

Summary: Alec is trying to catch the man who made him hurt Max, but he has to save her first...

_Well… here you have it. The wrap-up turned a bit overly long. Hope you enjoy. Thank you very, _very_ much for the kind reviews._

Chapter Twelve

* * *

Max's eyes flew open. She was in her bed, alone. The light coming in through the blinds was too bright, albeit not as bright as it could have been. Compared to the last time she'd been capable of conscious thought it was bearable. Alec must have come through for her.

Her skin felt raw, as if she had been scraped, or dragged across gravel or pavement. She hurt from the soles of her feet to the roots of her hair. Everything just felt badly over-stimulated, but still... it was better.

Max looked down and realized she was lying on her own bed, completely naked. She had a vague memory of someone else being in the room, followed by more pain than she had ever thought possible. Mole... Mole had been there.

Mole had seen her naked. She was going to _kill_ Alec.

There was a knock at the door and Max quickly scrambled for a sheet. She wrapped it around herself and moved to the side of the bed to face whoever was there. "Who is it?" she called, then coughed when her voice came out a dry rasp.

"It's maid service," Mole growled. "Who do you think it is?"

Max braced herself for company. "Come in."

The door opened immediately and Mole stepped inside, closing the door again behind him. "You good?" he asked, which Max supposed was as close as he could come to asking about her welfare.

"Better. What happened?"

"Alec made a deal with Kincaid. Alec got his hands on a file Kincaid wanted and Kincaid handed over the anti-viral for you."

"He gave him the file?" Max frowned fiercely. "He shouldn't have. Now we'll have to send a crew to retrieve it."

Mole huffed. "Kincaid didn't get the file. We have it, and Secretary Gordon already tasked us with figuring out why Kincaid was so hot to get it."

"Was?" Max picked up on the past tense.

"Kincaid's dead."

"How?"

"Alec," was all Mole answered.

Max pursed her lips and forced her mouth to form the questions she was afraid to ask. "Where is he? Why isn't he here? Is he all right?"

Mole looked down and away, his expression grim, and Max's heart dropped to the floor. She'd known it as soon as she opened her eyes and Alec wasn't beside her. Alec never would have left her alone in the state she was in. If he had found the cure for her, he should have been the one to come back with it. She should have awakened in his arms, safe and secure.

"Is..." She had to clear the constriction from her throat. "Is he alive?"

Mole met her gaze. "Barely."

She stood, wobbled badly and fell back on the bed. "You wanna help me out, here?" she demanded testily.

"Nothin' personal, but I been more up close and personal with you than I ever want to be again."

Max's eyes narrowed. "Just so we're clear... If you ever tell anyone you saw me naked I will make sure you spend the rest of your time here in charge of the day care."

Mole looked her up and down. "You got nothing I ain't seen before, Princess. Although the only reason I'm the one delivering the message is so nobody else gets scarred for life."

Max struggled to her feet and used the bedpost to keep herself upright on her shaky legs. "How is he?" Max asked quietly. She'd wanted to put off the question, but a few seconds were all she'd been able to bear. She had to know.

"Bad. He was already a mess, then he ran himself into the ground to get the cure for you, then..."

"What?" Max managed to squeak out.

"Kincaid shot him."

"Where is he?"

"Outside DC. He wasn't safe to move. It's a military hospital. Gordon has it on information lockdown, so at least the reporters don't know."

Max started frantically looking around the room for something clean to wear. She needed a quick shower, some clothes and a plane.

"I'll have them ready to fly in half an hour," Mole said, as if reading her mind. "One thing, though."

Max groaned. "What else can there be?"

"Sig."

"What about him?" Max snapped.

Mole grinned broadly. "You'll see. You need to talk to him before you go."

Mole let himself out and Max hurried to get herself together. After a quick shower, she felt better, if still a bit shaky, but those few minutes had also given her time to think.

Alec was in such bad shape he wasn't even safe to move. For a transgenic to be that bad off, it had to be catastrophic. She knew how little he'd slept after she was shot. The programming had sent him running back to their old base, and by the time Max had caught up, he'd been suffering from hunger and dehydration. On top of the guilt he was already carrying from shooting her, the deprogramming sessions had weakened him further to the point of near collapse, both physical and mental. Then the hit on Gordon had forced him back into the field where he'd been stabbed. Kincaid had caught him in the hospital and Alec had run to try to protect her, further injuring himself. Now, he'd been running himself ragged trying to save her and he'd been shot.

Max felt years older after the seemingly never ending barrage of events. Alec was in even worse shape. Had it only been a week?

Max finished dressing and headed for the door. She jerked it open and was surprised to see not only Fred and Barney standing guard, but also Sig and one of his crew. Her first instinct was to back up into the apartment. She didn't have time for a pissing contest with Sig. There was no telling what kind of damage he'd caused while she was down, and although she had every intention of fixing it, right now, Alec was top priority.

Max stepped out so that she was flanked by Fred and Barney who had snapped to attention at her appearance. "Guys? Is there a problem?"

"No, Ma'am," Fred said, despite, or more probably because, he knew how much it annoyed her to be called ma'am. She didn't feel like correcting him, however, in front of Sig.

Max waited for Fred to continue, but he didn't say anything else. She had the distinct feeling he was enjoying the situation for some reason. Max frowned and finally decided to just go ahead and ask. "Sig, why are you here?"

"We're here to replace your guard and walk you to the plane," Sig said without a trace of hostility or sarcasm.

"Sig, I wouldn't trust you to walk me to the bathroom."

Fred let out an honest to goodness chortle and Sig's eyes narrowed dangerously. After a second, however, his expression smoothed into its former openness and he looked back at Max. "Ma'am, you are my CO and I will protect you with my life."

Once again, he seemed totally sincere, grave even. Max knew what it was to have someone die for her. Almost an entire security team had died protecting her in the riot outside city hall. She never took it lightly when someone said they would die for her.

"What happened?" she demanded. "I expected to have to come out here and kick your ass for trying to take over."

"He already had his wings clipped," Fred growled. Max glanced toward him and saw a flash of Fred's wolfish teeth.

"I may have accepted _them_," Sig snapped. "That doesn't mean I'll take crap from you, cub."

"Call me a cub again and you'll get to see just what these teeth can do," Fred snarled.

"Cut it out," Max ordered angrily. "I don't have time for this. I have a plane to catch."

"That's why we're here," Sig said huffily, some of the old Sig showing through.

Max hesitated for only a second and then stepped forward, heading toward the stairs leading out of the apartment building. "Fred, Barney, with me," she ordered, and immediately heard the two trusted guards fall in behind her. "If either of these two idiots tries anything, shoot them."

Sig she noticed acknowledged the order with an approving nod. He moved out of the building ahead of her, his eyes watchful. It wasn't exactly necessary since they were inside TC, but Max had to appreciate the effort. Fred and Barney had only been on duty because of the threat of Sig himself. If he really had decided to back off, then this was a very unnecessary escort, at least until they got underway outside the gates.

"What's with the change of heart?" Max couldn't help asking.

"Alec," was all Sig answered.

"What about him?"

"He..." Sig paused as if trying to figure out how to say it. "He earned my respect."

Fred snorted. "He kicked your ass."

"You picked a fight with Alec?" Max said, a heavy warning in her tone. "He was fresh out of the hospital and you-"

"Yes," Sig cut her off. "He was injured and he still put me down before I knew what happened." He sounded almost embarrassed. "Anyone who can do that deserves to be in charge."

"So that takes care of Alec. What about me?" Max queried.

Sig smirked. "You two? You might as well be one person. You move as a team and you think as a team. You're a package deal."

"Whatever," Max said. "You ever touch Alec again, this half of the package deal will tear your arms off and beat you with them. We clear?"

"Very." Sig laughed and it was a noise Max had never heard, low and dangerous. It reminded her that even if Sig had decided he was on their team, he was still a very risky part of the team. She made a mental note to keep him busy so he'd stay out of trouble, not to mention out of her way. Nevertheless, Max set all that aside for the time being. Business was one thing, but first things first. She had to get to Alec.

* * *

Max walked down the hallway as fast as her feet would carry her without blurring. It was a military hospital and she knew better than to spook a bunch of trained soldiers. That, however, was not going to stop her from getting to her husband.

At the end of the hall, she saw two guards standing outside a room, and she recognized them as members of Alec's team. Unlike the idiot hospital in Seattle, this one apparently had no problem with allowing them to properly secure the area.

Both guards noticed her approach at the same time, as well as Fred and Barney about two steps behind her. They all met in a heavily armed traffic jam at the door to Alec's room.

"How is he?" Max asked.

Rather than answer, both men looked at each other, and if she had to guess, they were silently arguing over who got the job of telling her the bad news.

"Get out of my way," she finally snapped, and the two stepped aside. "And somebody better go find his doctor. I want him here now since you two won't give me a straight answer."

Barney, who was far more diplomatic than Fred, trotted off toward the nearest nurse's station. "I got it."

"Fred, wait out here," Max ordered. She braced herself and walked into the hospital room.

There were no windows and Max supposed that was best since they were definite security risks. It didn't, however, make the room any warmer. It was like a jail cell, but with medical equipment. It was like something at Manticore and Alec was trapped here.

For a moment her vision swam. The smells were too much, the overhead lights were too bright, the sounds of the medical equipment whirring and beeping were too loud. The worst part was that she knew it wasn't the remains of the virus. It was her mind trying to keep her from really seeing what was in front of her.

"Alec?" she whispered.

"He's asleep."

Max's head snapped to one side and she realized Slick was sitting in a chair by the wall. She supposed he'd been in charge since Alec was down for the count. He looked exhausted, and far too young to have that kind of burden placed on him. "You ok?" she asked.

"Just tired," he said. "He's doing better though."

"Is he?"

For the first time, she didn't allow herself to be distracted by the room, or the machinery, or the guards. She looked directly at Alec.

She wanted to fall to her knees. She wanted to sob. She wanted to do anything but face the situation. Instead, she walked forward to the bed, lowered the bedrail and gently sat down at his hip.

Alec was gray. That was the only thing she could think. His lips were nearly blue and his skin was gray. His breathing didn't sound right either.

"They took him off the vent a little while ago," Slick explained. "He wasn't healing right because of the interference, or he was instinctively fighting it too much, so they decided taking him off was the lesser of two evils."

"Has he woken up?" She brushed a hand over his cheek, mindful of the nasal cannula giving him extra oxygen.

"He can't. He's too heavily sedated."

At that, Max looked toward Slick in surprise. "He's been out the whole time? How did they manage that?"

"You're not gonna believe it." He shook his head as if he didn't believe it himself.

"What?"

Two doctors were hustled into the room, looking half-annoyed and half-frightened. Fred was pushing them toward Max, and if she had to guess, she suspected he'd snarled and flashed his teeth to get them to move faster. He just loved scaring ordinaries.

"Fred, let them go," Max ordered. When he obeyed, she added, "Wait outside."

Fred cast a worried glance toward the bed where Alec lay, but then walked outside to stand with the others.

"Sorry about that," Max said, and the two men nodded. One was a tall, balding, middle-aged man who looked like the Pulse hadn't cut into his meal rations, while the second was a shorter man in his twenties who looked a little scruffy.

"Max, this is Dr. Myers." Slick gestured to the taller man. "He has been taking care of Alec since he got out of surgery. And this," he pointed to the younger man, "is Dr. Peterson. Alec's _veterinarian_."

Max's first reaction was to laugh, but neither Slick nor the doctors appeared amused. She faced Slick. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," he answered, frowning worriedly, not knowing how she would take it.

Max cleared her throat. "A veterinarian."

"Yes," the tall doctor said. "Once your friend here explained that some of the problems we were having were due to animal DNA, we thought it best to consult with someone qualified to assist us."

She physically took a step back toward Alec, infuriated, and hurting for him, that he had been subjected to such a thing. It was bad enough that they had spent their entire lives as lab rats, but for them to _literally_ treat them like that... It was beyond insulting.

"You're treating my husband like an animal?" Max demanded, her voice turning strident.

"No, of course not," the veterinarian said, shifting nervously on his feet. "We wouldn't dream of it."

"Then why are you here?"

"Many medications used for animals are the same things used for humans. They're just called by different names," Peterson explained. "But some are different, and some are more effective on certain animals than others, and some have very adverse effects on an animal's system. I'm just here to make sure we don't hurt him unknowingly."

"Maxie?"

She whipped around to see that Alec's eyes were open just a tiny bit. "Alec?"

"Don't hurt him," he said weakly. "Vet's an ok guy. Better'n the other one."

"You were awake?"

"Been in and out since the surgery."

"That's not possible," Dr. Myers said, stepping closer. "We used a combination of human and veterinary techniques to keep him sedated." He sounded very pompous and sure of himself and Max wanted to kick his ass.

Alec lifted his hand and put it around her wrist to stop her. She met his gaze and Alec winked. "Dr. Myers?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to tell your wife or should I?"

Dr. Myers frowned in confusion. "I don't understand."

"Then don't talk about your mistress around a transgenic. Odds are, we're not as unconscious as you think we are."

The man turned fire engine red and looked almost like a cornered animal himself. "You wouldn't dare."

Alec looked barely strong enough to sit up, but his voice was hard. "I have rules about how a man should treat his wife. I take them _very_ seriously."

"Alec," Max said gently, but in a tone that would brook no opposition, "you need to rest. Stop baiting the ordinaries."

"Guy's a jerk," Alec murmured. "Don't trust him."

"I won't," she promised.

Alec's eyes slowly, too slowly for Max's comfort, tracked her as she sat down on the bed beside him. "You ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine now," she assured him. "Thanks to you."

"Doctor check you out?"

"No time." She leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "Had to get to you."

"Stupid," he mumbled, his words increasingly slurred, his breathing labored.

"We gonna compare stupid now?"

"Got the job done," he replied, his eyes closing. "Got the cure."

"Yeah, you did," she said, her heart so full it felt like it would burst. "Thank you." She brushed his hair from his brow, then set her hand against his cheek. He sighed contentedly at the gesture and turned his head more toward her hand.

"Love you," he said, drifting to sleep again.

"Always," she answered.

Max stood and turned to Slick. "One, I want arrangements made to move him out of here as soon as possible."

"You can't do that," Dr. Myers cried.

She ignored the interruption. "Two, you will tell me how this happened, and I mean down to the very last second. Mole didn't have all the details."

"Of course," Slick said, resigned to his fate of facing the pissed off boss. "Give me a few minutes to call Command and get everything ready, then I'll come back to explain." Max nodded and Slick hurried out of the room. She almost felt bad since the guy looked ready to fall down himself, but one look at Alec was all the reminder she needed that the others had allowed him to put himself in harm's way to the point of lunacy.

"You can't take him out of here," the doctor said again more forcefully.

Max turned around to face him. "There is one very big problem with that."

"And what would that be?" he asked haughtily.

"My husband doesn't trust you."

"I assure you I have done everything I can to-"

Max resisted the urge to growl. "Since you're enjoying thinking of us as animals, then consider that you have one of the most dangerous animals alive right here in your hospital. He's injured and the drugs you're using won't keep him down much longer. Unless I can get him someplace where he feels safe, this could go very badly for everyone involved."

The doctor looked horrified and scared. "Are you suggesting-"

"He doesn't trust you, which means, if he's still groggy, he will fight his way out of here. Or… if you are very lucky, he'll just sneak out of here on his own even if it kills him to do it. That is, unless I move him first."

"I will not allow you people to come in here and-"

Once again she stopped him. "Thank you for your assistance. We'll take it from here."

"We'll see about that," the man huffed and stomped out of the room.

That left only Dr. Peterson in the room with her. "You can go, too."

"I can't actually," the scruffy young man said. "Not in good conscience."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that… if you're willing," he qualified quickly, "I will accompany you wherever you're going. Back to Seattle, I assume."

Max frowned. "Why?"

"Your husband is in very poor shape. I understand why you want him out of here and, knowing what Myers is up to, I actually agree that you should take him. But I can't let him go without someone there to help if he gets in trouble."

"What's Myers up to?" she asked warily.

"He's been running tests that have no medical reason as far as I can tell. I overheard him talking to someone on the phone and I think they're… taking notes on you."

Max was so furious she could barely see straight. She walked to the door, trying to keep her temper in check. The guards all looked at her worriedly, no doubt having heard her conversation with the vet. "Don't let Myers back in here," she ordered through clenched teeth.

"Our pleasure." Fred gave her a little salute.

Max walked back into the room to see the veterinarian standing over Alec, checking the monitors. "Is he doing all right?"

"The bullet used to shoot him was a hollow point. It made an unbelievable mess. From what I understand, the surgeon nearly lost him on the table."

"Is it really safe to move him?" she asked. "I won't if…"

Dr. Peterson glanced at her, then back at Alec. "It isn't safe not to, if you ask me."

Max nodded and walked back to the door. "I need someone to call Gordon's office and get the paperwork necessary to take this guy back to Seattle with us."

"Will do." Barney pulled his cell phone out and started dialing as Max walked back into the room.

Peterson was moving around Alec starting to remove the medical equipment attached to him. "From what I've seen, he'll survive without the rest. It's just the oxygen he'll absolutely need. I'll make sure to get equipment more suitable to move him."

"Why are you willing to do this?"

"Honestly?" He turned to face her. "I'm fascinated. That, and I think you guys need help. I've read some articles about you and… frankly…" He grinned. "I could use a little excitement."

"Are you applying for a _job_?" Max asked in some astonishment.

"If you'll have me," he said eagerly.

Max shook her head. They would think she was absolutely nuts if she brought a veterinarian back with her. Except, the more she thought about it, the less angry she was. Transgenics were a weird bunch with a little too much of the animal kingdom built in. A vet might be just what the doctor ordered. Plus, if he really was willing, that would give them a pseudo-physician on staff. People who worked for Freak, Inc. were almost always coming in with everything from scrapes to bullet wounds.

"You realize we'll run a full background check, right? If you don't pass, we'll have to kill you," she said straight-faced.

Peterson gulped nervously, but he still nodded. "That's ok."

Max let out a faint laugh. "First thing to know about us," she said. "Nearly everybody's going to threaten to kill you at some point. We almost never mean it."

Peterson let out a shaky breath. "Good to know."

"We're the good guys. We're just a little… high strung."

"Ok."

Max held out her hand. "Welcome to Freak, Inc. Your first job is to get your boss back to Seattle alive."

* * *

Max awoke feeling warm and safe for the first time in days. Alec was beside her and, for the moment, that was all she needed to know.

The trip from Washington had been a nerve-wracking experience to say the least. Alec had really had no business being moved, but thanks to the military types starting to run tests, and Alec's own tendency to leave hospitals when the notion took him, it had been necessary.

Dr. Peterson had already proven himself to be a very useful guy to have around. He was used to working on four-legged animals, but he was good at improvisation and using what he knew to make things work. In short, he thought a lot like they did and did what was needed to get the job done.

Peterson had kept Alec as comfortable as he could on the plane ride, despite Alec's rising pain levels. Once they arrived, the vet didn't scream and run when he saw the myriad oddities waiting for him inside the gates, and better yet, he took no guff from anyone, including Mole.

The trip, however, had been exhausting for everyone involved. Despite how much better Max was feeling, her illness and the subsequent adrenaline-filled rush to the east coast had been too much too soon. Almost as soon as Alec was made comfortable, she had curled up beside him and fallen into a deep, deep sleep.

Now that she was awake again, she could tell the difference in his breathing and knew his lungs were beginning to repair themselves. Despite their accelerated healing, his recovery would be slower because of the repeated injuries with no real time to heal in between. Frankly, that was all right with her. She could keep him all to herself for a little while.

"Why are you grinning?"

Max jumped at the sound of the gravelly voice and looked up to see Alec staring down at her. He still looked ill and worn out, but his color was better. At least his lips weren't blue. "I was planning on having my way with you."

Alec's eyebrows rose. "Is that so?"

"I'm a woman, right?"

Alec's lips twitched in amusement. "Yes."

"And you're a man, right?"

"Yes."

"And you're stuck in this bed until further notice, right?"

"So says my veterinarian." Alec raised his hand and brushed it over her hair, sighing contentedly. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I plan to stay right here and make sure you do the same until we're both healthy as horses and ready to face the world."

"Doesn't sound very exciting," he said, a definite glint in his eye.

"Exactly. Be grateful for boring."

"With you here," he whispered, "I might never want to leave."

The look in his eyes was more than Max had ever hoped to find. She had spent her youth being trained by coldhearted military men, finding a bit of friendship and tenderness where she could. She'd spent her teen years on the run, only occasionally sticking around long enough to get to know anyone. But now... with Alec. Alec was _home_.

"Thank you for saving me," she said softly.

Alec smiled. "I was being selfish. You know how much I hate paperwork. If you died they were going to make me do it. It was self-preservation."

"And that's why you called in all of your favors with Gordon and his people? Why you let Kincaid shoot you just so you could blow up his insides? You don't like paperwork?"

Alec shrugged, jostling her a bit. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

"You're a terrible liar. You know that?"

Alec's expression turned affronted. "Hey, I passed my verbal and non-verbal deception classes with flying colors."

Max stretched so that she could kiss him. "They didn't know you like I do," she breathed against his lips.

"No hanky-panky." Alec lips trailed from her mouth to her neck. "Doctor's orders."

"What does he know?" Max turned slightly so that Alec's wandering hands could roam at will, sending her temperature soaring. "He's a veterinarian."

"Better than that cheating, pompous ass doctor. Wanted to kick his ass, but I couldn't get out of the bed," Alec growled.

"Are we really going to keep talking about doctors right now?" Max asked.

Alec chuckled, the low rumble in his chest reverberating through her. Alec's breathing hitched suddenly and he coughed. It sounded painful and from the way he quickly released her and settled back against the mattress, it was worse than that. He set his hands on his chest, his fingers splayed wide as if trying to keep himself from flying apart. The coughing aggravated his other injuries, and Alec's color drained away.

"Are you all right?" she asked worriedly.

"Fine." He looked embarrassed and frustrated.

"It's ok," she tried to reassure him. "Just relax."

"Should… should've… stayed with… Logan," he gasped. "At least… he's healthy."

"Not funny," Max said sternly.

Alec fell silent, all of his concentration going into his troubled breathing until finally Max was ready to get Peterson. Alec knew what she was thinking, however, and wrapped a hand around her wrist, keeping her where she was.

"Just… give me… a minute," he wheezed and Max remained silent, afraid any response would make him feel like he had to answer.

After a few minutes, his color began to seep back and his breathing eased. "Better?" she asked and he nodded. "Good. Cause I'm going to hit you for that crack about Logan."

Alec didn't even smile. He just looked at her for a moment, his expression inscrutable. "You know…" He paused, visibly gathering his thoughts, and whatever they were, they were painful to him. "With the virus gone… I would understand…"

Max stopped him with a hand over his mouth. "Do you really think that's why I chose you?" she asked. "Just because you were hanging around and I couldn't kill you?" When he didn't answer she glared at him. "How shallow do you think I am?"

"No comment?"

"That's not gonna work, smart guy. I'm not a reporter."

Alec's expression became very serious. This wasn't the brash, devil-may-care, nothing-fazes-him Alec. This was the real Alec, the Alec she loved, the man she married. It was for moments like this when it was just the two of them and the bravado went away, and they could just talk without the weight of who they had to be to the outside world bearing down on them.

"I just don't want you to feel… stuck," he said softly.

"I am." She nearly stopped when his face went very purposely blank, but she pressed on. "I'm stuck running this place, and I'm stuck fighting these stupid Familiars, and I'm stuck with you."

"You don't have to be," he told her.

"I want to be," she replied. "I want to be stuck in this mess, and I want to be stuck here with _you_."

Alec's exhausted smile was almost bashful. "Careful. My ego's already pretty big."

Max could see he was fading. He'd been talking too long and the coughing fit had sapped what little energy he'd managed to muster.

"You wanna know something sad?" she asked.

"Mmm?"

"I kinda like your ego."

Alec grinned sleepily. "That so?"

"Yeah."

"S'good. Cause my ego is still gonna kick Logan's ass for kissing you."

Max laughed and snuggled close again. Alec wrapped his arm around her and pulled her tight against him. It was quiet in the apartment, peaceful. She knew it wouldn't last, but for the moment, it was enough.

"I'm glad you're ok, Maxie."

"I'm glad we're _both_ ok."

"Yeah." Alec placed a kiss on the top of her head before settling more comfortably on his pillow. "It was a pretty good day."

* * *

_Well, I think this is it for me. Best of luck to you all. Been a pleasure._


End file.
